“You are lacking in one thing”, Jesus says to the man in the Gospel. The man runs up to Jesus and asks him a question, “Good, teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”. It is in answering this question, Jesus says, “You are lacking in one thing.”
What is actually happening? Jesus first tells the man that he should observe the Commandments such as – You shall not kill, you shall commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not defraud, you shall honour your father and mother.” The man with all the enthusiasm replies that he has been observing these commandments from his youth. It is to this reply of the man, Jesus says, “You are lacking in one thing.”
What struck me as I read this Gospel was, if there is something lacking in a man who says that he has observed the commandments of the Lord, how much more shall be lacking in one who disregards the Word of God and compromises the Commandment of God. Something to ponder?
Jesus says, “There is more to Christianity than it meets the eye.” It is not just enough to observe the commandments of the God. There is always something that you can do for Christ. One can never be satisfied with what he or she has done for the Lord, there is yet something more. It is this “something more” that Jesus expects from the man.
As we participate in the Sunday Eucharist today as any faithful Christian does, let us ask these questions: Is there anything lacking in my Christian life? What is it that I need to do more for Christ? Am I just happy with the minimal expressions of my faith?
The man came with a question regarding how he could inherit the eternal life. The immediate thoughts that surround our minds when we hear the word “Eternal life” it is life after death, life after resurrection. Ye it is true but it is not just that! The Eternal Life is also here and now. –John 4: 21 we read, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and he has crossed over from death to life.” So, the Eternal Life is about hearing the Word and Believing in the Triune God. This we do so during our life here on earth.
Jesus first drew the attention of the man to the Commandments as a means to obtain the Eternal Life. Jesus says what you need to do in the first place keep my commandments here during your life on earth. God has given us the Commandments in the form of 10 commandments and these 10 commandments have been summed up in 2 commandments. Jesus urges to lead a faithful and human and Christian life prescribing the ways in the sermon on the mount. So, we need to ask ourselves if I lack anything in the observance of this commandments.
Pope Francis will be officially canonizing six new saints today which include Blessed Pope Paul VI and Blessed Archbishop Oscar Romero. Many of us would have heard about Archbishop Oscar Romero. Before anything else, he was a devout and faithful Christian who was moved with pain of the others. As the Archbishop of El Salvador which was under the regime of the dictators, Oscar knew he had God’s Mandate as the Archbishop to raise the voice for the Voiceless in the society. He knew he had the commandment of God to fight for justice and to ensure freedom for the enslaved. Risking his own life, he waged a battle against the oppressive regime.
In the end, he was shot dead as he was celebrating the Eucharist. I cannot but think of the verse in the Bible, “There is no better love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Oscar lived faithfully these words. The Life of Oscar Romero is a faithful witness to Gospel commandment of Love! He loved God and Loved His people and it through this love he lived and fulfilled God’s commandments! I need to ask myself if I am lacking the sincere faithfulness to God’s commandments, am I lacking the will to persevere in God’s commandments and am I lacking the resolve to follow God’s Commandments.
The first reading draws our attention to the Spirit of Wisdom. The reading describes the preciousness of the spirit of wisdom as worth more than sceptre, throne, riches, health and beauty. The reading also says all good things came together in her company – the company of wisdom. If we have the spirit of wisdom, we have everything. Where do we have the Spirit of Wisdom. The Holy Scripture, the Gospels, the word of God is full of God’s Wisdom. The Spirit of wisdom is moving in every page, every sentence and every word of the scriptures.
Much more than ever before, you and I need the guidance of the Spirit of Wisdom. Hence recourse to the Word of God is the only way. It is here that I acquire the wisdom. In a world when the individual freedom is the ultimate and definite norm for deciding what is right and wrong. With all due respect to individual freedom, you and I cannot go against our Christian Conscience with which we have been brought up. This Christian Conscience is the Bible, Word of God, the Gospels. Our Individual freedom should be regulated by the Word of God – the Spirit of Wisdom found in the scriptures. The second reading says, the word of God helps discern the thoughts of the heart. Our thoughts of the heart may be erroneous sometimes influenced by the wisdom of the world but when put under the lens of the Word of God, we will be able to discern the right path.
Jesus tells the man in the Gospel that what he lacked was the attitude of sharing what he has with the others. Let us not be judgemental in interpreting the Gospel as Jesus being against the rich but he certainly against the attitude of selfishness – I, Me and Mine. This is what the young man lacked! Where there is an opportunity in my life, where I can be of some help to someone, if I let this opportunity to let go, it will forever remain a lack, never to be set right. I may get another chance but that opportunity will remain a lack in my life. Jesus invites us to avail ourselves in whatever way we can to help those in need.
The Eternal Life is also here in now, we inherit it through the observance of the Commandments, through the Spirt of wisdom found in the Scriptures and through the attitude of sharing and helping.
What am I lacking in my Christian Life? There may be a lot. But it is not the end. To the young man, Jesus looked at him and loved him and said – you are lacking one thing. It is the same with each one of us. Jesus does not for a moment gets annoyed and angry but despite the many lacks, he still loves us and invites us to a renewed relationship.
It is unfortunate that the man in the Gospel on knowing what he lacked, he went away sad. What about me?
johnsekarofm 