SELL EVERYTHING

 

SELL EVERYTHING

‘Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor … then come and follow me.’ Some people took this literally, like Anthony of Egypt in the third century and Francis of Assisi in the thirteenth, but these words of Jesus are addressed to everyone – though not literally. A clue is given in our first reading from the Book of Wisdom, ‘compared to wisdom, all gold is a pinch of sand.’

The words of Jesus above refer to wisdom, that unexplored word which has been central to every culture. When we study Shona, we are soon introduced to the collection of proverbs which reflect the wisdom literature of the Scriptures. The wisdom Jesus speaks of is a fulfilment of that wisdom – indeed of all wisdom.

Jesus did not simply speak about it. His whole life was an expression of it. ‘He emptied himself and became as we are and was even more humble, accepting death, death on a cross’ (Phil 2:7). He ‘sold’ everything.

It is painfully difficult for us to ‘empty’ ourselves. Yet it is the core of our growing into the fullness of life. If we reflect on our daily life, we know that we cling desperately to our own ways. How we see ourselves in view of others, how we come across to them, what we say, how we iron out the challenges without facing them! Basically, we run away from who we are and hide behind a variety of stances we adopt. A lot of the time we are on show. We put on an act.

We will never come to the truth until we ‘empty’ ourselves of all these false poses. Jesus is knocking on our door and we don’t allow him in because there is too much clutter in our ‘house’ and there is no room for him.

It is easy to say these things. It is more difficult to face them and act. Yet, these words in today’s gospel are words of wisdom; a gentle invitation to face our poverty and pretence and ‘sell’ all our avoidance of the cross. It is an invitation to freedom. We are to come out of the prison we have made for ourselves; a prison which may give us a sense of security but which, in truth, prevents us enjoying the freedom that comes with letting go of our pretended self and emerging into our true self. It is risky, adventurous and life-giving to the full.   

13 Oct 2024          Sunday 28 B         Wis 7:1-11  Heb 4:12-13    Mk 10:17-30