The Gospel of Mark
Treasure in Heaven: Mk 10,17-31
The Rich Man: 10,17-22
This story is a good example of how we read the Gospels. Commonly this episode is known as the encounter with "the rich young man". Yet he is young only in the Gospel of Matthew while in Luke's Gospel he is a king. Here in Mark he is just a rich man.
In verse 17, Jesus is continuing his journey to Jerusalem " setting out on the way": the background of all that the evangelist is saying at this point is the coming passion and resurrection of Jesus in Jerusalem. The comment about the way is not found in Matthew (Mt 19,16).
Matthew we can note is also more specific here than Mark "what good thing shall I do?"
Here as throughout this section, the key message is the consequences of what it does mean to be a true disciple of Jesus.
We note that the man runs up to Jesus and kneels, an emphasis by Mark which possibly indicates a certain enthusiasm. Looking perhaps for quick answers. However, asking Jesus what to do is not really the right approach.
Jesus also reacts to being described as "good" because in Judaism only God is "good". In terms of this story, Jesus of course is fully human.
That said, with Jesus the relationship with God has changed so it is only those of the ten commandments which are concerned with the neighbour that he quotes.
The man's reply underlines his shortcomings: he is aware that something is missing. He is evidently sincere as Jesus' response shows. Jesus gave a very different response earlier to the Pharisees (7,6-7).
Jesus therefore looked at him and "loved him" - this is the only time Jesus reaches out in love in this way. Jesus wants the man to changes. It is omitted by Matthew (Mt 19,21) (and adds a comment typical to him about being perfect)>
Yet the demands of Jesus are total: sell everything, come follow me (verse 21).
A challenge which proves too much for the man as he goes away sad in verse 22. The wealth of the man is only now revealed forming a dramatic climax to the encounter.
We can see this all-demanding challenge for the disciples arising out of the circumstances of the story. Few may be called to follow the gospel quite so literally but the demand is there and has consequences as Jesus will now stress to his disciples.
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The Disciples and the Kingdom: 10,23-31
This follow-up to the rich man is addressed specifically to the disciples. They are as we have seen the focus of Jesus' teaching throughout this section of the Gospel.
Wealth to the ancients was a sign of God's favour. This is clear in the opening of the story of Job, a man blessed by God until Satan was allowed to tempt him.
Jesus though has other priorities in mind. The setting of his fate in Jerusalem will be rejection by the rich and powerful.
There is no reason to take the comparison of verse 25 other than literally - camels don't fit through the eye of a needle.
Verse 26 shows the value systems of the disciples completely turned upside down. Salvation belongs only to God whose ways are not our ways.
Peter then reminds Jesus of his original call at the beginning of the Gospel story (1:16-20).
Jesus now makes a solemn promise to those who have answered the Gospel's call: followers of Jesus (the Christian community after the resurrection) are blessed even now by belonging to the community and will be blessed even more at the end with eternal life.
This teaching about discipleship with Jesus' comment about persecutions (verse 30) can be seen in the setting of the persecuted early Christian community. Rome under the Emperor Nero around 60 AD would be one of many persecutions faced by the Christians.
Verse 31 then shows how following Jesus require a complete reversal of the values of our age. The rich and powerful will come last, the poor and lowly instead come first.
That message sets the scene for what now follows.
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The Sunday Gospel: 28th Sunday OT
The reading from the Wisdom of Solomon comes from Solomon's prayer for Wisdom, 7-1-14 (maybe continuing to verse 22). The context therefore is prayer. The title in italics indicates the importance of wisdom over riches.