Jesus said to [the young man], “If you wish to be perfect, go,
sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad,
for he had many possessions. (Mt 19:21-22)
We all strive to be better. We want to do good. We want to think that the Lord is pleased with our daily lives.
However, we are often loathe, truly, to put it all out there.
Jesus met a young man who sought eternal life. “What must I do?” he asked Jesus. Jesus told the young man, “Keep the commandments”. The young man replied that he had. Was there anything else?
And then Jesus let him have it: “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
The poor young man walked away.
Why?
Because he not only must have held a lot of possessions; but, presumably, his possessions held him as well.
We must learn to divest ourselves of the things that have too much of a hold on us. Nothing — not any possession nor any honor nor any person — should ever get in the way of our relationship with God.
FAITH ACTION: Is there anything in your life that you consider to be so important that it gets in the way of your relationship with God? If there is, consider making some changes.