Do Your Possessions Own You?

20 Aug

Jesus said to him, “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)

Today’s Gospel is very sad.

A young man approached Jesus and asked what he needed to do to gain eternal life.  Jesus told the young man to live the commandments.  The young man responded that he was already doing that.

So Jesus gives him one more admonition, as quoted above.

And the young man went away.

Matthew writes “for he had many possessions.”

However, it is inferred in that passage that not only did the young man own many possessions,  presumably, the possessions owned the young man.

We all know what it is like to have a favorite something-or-other.  Maybe it is a car, or a work of art, or a person.  That something, or someone, may mean more to us than anything else.

It might even mean more to us than God.

If we have crossed that line, we are in the same boat as the young man in the Gospel.  That is a very dangerous boat, indeed, as the waters of this life are very choppy and we can easily sink.

Owning “stuff” is not the issue.

The “stuff” owning us is.

FAITH ACTION:  Is there something in your life that has more importance to you than it should.  Consider what you need to do with that.  Maybe make a conscious effort to re-prioritize your life.  Maybe decide that you need to get rid of the possession before it becomes your downfall.