In today’s Gospel a young man asks a question that all of us have asked: “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” Jesus’ reply might surprise and even shock us: “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good.” Jesus is of course referring to his heavenly Father as the “only One who is good.” Jesus goes on to answer the young man’s question by first giving the obvious answer: “keep the commandments.” The young man wants a more precise answer: “Which ones?” When the young man claims to have kept these commandments Jesus puts the challenge before him: “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.”
This young man is seeking to deal with God on a strictly legal basis. How do I earn or gain eternal life? He also seems to be seeking the bare minimum that is required, which commandments must I keep to gain eternal life. Jesus tries to move him from a strictly legal basis and from the idea that he can earn or gain eternal life. God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness are a gift or grace. One does not earn a gift but receives it with great joy. This joy then impels us to live as gifted and graced people by showing this same love, mercy, and forgiveness to others. Jesus keeps demanding more and more of this young man: “keep the commandments, go sell what you have and give to the poor.” Jesus is not making this a new legal requirement to gain eternal life. Jesus is calling this young man and all of us to put God and God’s will before all especially before our riches and possessions and even our very self.
Jesus calls this young man to perfection: “If you wish to be perfect.” He puts a similar challenge before all of us in his Sermon on the Mount: “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48). Luke’s parallel version of this saying helps us to see Jesus’ understanding of perfection: “Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36). All of us make mistakes so in that sense we will never be “perfect” but all of us can be merciful so in this sense we can be “perfect” and we will have “treasures in heaven.”
Image: “IMG_2550HA Jacob Jordaens 1593-1678. Jésus instruisant Nicodème. Jesus instructing Nicodemus. Bruxelles.” by jean louis mazieres is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.