28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

by David Scott

 Readings

Wisdom 7:7-11 

Psalm 90:12-17 

Hebrews 4:12-13 

Mark 10:17-30 

Chants

The Last Judgment (detail) Rogier van der Weyden, 1452
The Last Judgment (detail) Rogier van der Weyden, 1452

Wisdom and Riches

The rich young man in today’s Gospel wanted to know what we all want to know—how to live in this life so that we might live forever in the world to come. He sought what today’s Psalm calls “wisdom of heart.”

He learns that the wisdom he seeks is not a program of works to be performed, or behaviors to be avoided. As Jesus tells him, observing the commandments is essential to walking the path of salvation—but it can only get us so far.

The Wisdom of God is not precepts, but a person—Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Wisdom whose Spirit was granted to Solomon in today’s First Reading. Jesus is the Word of God spoken of in today’s Epistle. And Jesus, as He reveals himself to the rich man today, is God.

In Jesus we encounter Wisdom, the living and effective Word of God. As He does with the rich man today, He looks upon each of us with love. That look of love, that loving gaze, is a personal invitation—to give up everything to follow Him.

Nothing is concealed from His gaze, as we hear in the Epistle. In His fiery eyes, the thoughts of our hearts are exposed, and each of us must render an account of our lives (see Revelation 1:14).

We must have the attitude of Solomon, preferring Wisdom to all else, loving Him more than even life itself. This preference, this love, requires a leap of faith. We will be persecuted for this faith, Jesus tells His disciples today. But we must trust in His promise—that all good things will come to us in His company.

What, then, are the “many possessions” that keep us from giving ourselves totally to God? What are we clinging to—material things, comfort zones, relationships? What will it take for us to live fully for Christ’s sake and the sake of the Gospel?

Let us pray for the wisdom to enter into the kingdom of God. With the Psalmist, let us ask Him, “Teach us.”


St. John Chrysostom
Sermon 63 on St. Matthew

Christ had said to the young man: “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Mt 19,17). He asks: “Which ones?”, not at all to test him but because he imagines that there must be some further commandments for him that will win him life besides the commandments of the Law of Moses. It proved his eager desire.

When Jesus had repeated the commandments of the Law, the young man said: “All these I have observed since my youth”. Nor did he stop there; he asked: “What do I still lack?” (Mt 19,20), this being proof itself of his eager desire.

It is no small-minded person who believes himself to be still lacking something and who finds the ideal put forward for attaining the object of his desire to be deficient.

And what will Christ say? He suggests something great. First of all he sets out the reward when he says: “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”.

Do you notice what a prize, what crowns he offers for this sporting pursuit?… To draw him he shows him a costly reward and leaves everything to his own judgement. Whatever might appear more difficult he leaves in shadow.

Before speaking to him of conflicts and effort he shows him the reward: “If you wish to be perfect” he says: this is the glory and happiness!…

“You will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me”: this is the reward, the wonderful reward of following Christ and being his companion and friend! That young man valued earthly riches; Christ counsels him to rid himself of them, not to reduce him to abject poverty but to make him even richer.


Pope Benedict XVI
Homily, October 15, 2006

If man puts his trust in the riches of this world, he will not reach the full sense of life and of true joy. If instead, trusting the Word of God, he renounces himself and his goods for the Kingdom of Heaven, apparently losing much, he in reality gains all. …

Jesus … can truly guarantee a happy existence and eternal life, but by a route different from what the rich young man imagines: that is, not through a good work, a legal tribute, but rather in the choice of the Kingdom of God as the “precious pearl” for which it is worth selling all that one possesses (cf. Mt 13: 45-46).

The rich youth is not able to take this step. Notwithstanding that he has been the object of the loving gaze of Jesus (cf. Mk 10: 21), his heart is not able to detach itself from the many goods that he possessed.

Thus comes the teaching for the disciples: “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the Kingdom of God!” (Mk 10: 23).

Earthly riches occupy and preoccupy the mind and the heart. Jesus does not say they are bad, but that they distance one from God if they are not, so to speak, “invested” for the Kingdom of Heaven, spent, that is, to come to the help of those who are poor.

Understanding this is the fruit of that wisdom of which the First Reading speaks. As we were told, she is more precious than silver or gold, and more beautiful, healthy and full of light, “because her radiance never ceases” (Wis 7: 10).

Obviously, this wisdom cannot be reduced merely to an intellectual dimension. It is much more; it is “the Wisdom of the heart”, as it is called in Psalm 89. It is a gift from on high (cf. Jas 3: 17), from God, and is obtained by prayer (cf. Wis 7: 7).

In fact, it has not remained distant from man; it has come close to his heart (cf. Dt 30: 14), taking form in the law of the First Covenant between God and Israel through Moses.

The Wisdom of God is contained in the Decalogue. This is why Jesus affirms in the Gospel that to “enter into life” it is necessary to observe the commandments (cf. Mk 10: 19). It is necessary, but not sufficient!

In fact, as St Paul says, salvation does not come from the law, but from Grace. And St John recalls that the law was given by Moses, while Grace and Truth come by means of Jesus Christ (cf. Jn 1: 17).

To reach salvation one must therefore be open in faith to the grace of Christ, who, however, when addressed, places a demanding condition: “Come, follow me” (Mk 10: 21).


Saint John Chrysostom
Sermon 63 on St. Matthew; PG 58, 603

“You will have treasure in heaven”

Christ had said to the young man: “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Mt 19:17). He asks: “Which ones?”, not at all to test him but because he imagines that there must be some further commandments for him that will win him life besides the commandments of the Law of Moses. It proved his eager desire. When Jesus had repeated the commandments of the Law, the young man said: “All these I have observed since my youth”. Nor did he stop there; he asked: “What do I still lack?” (Mt 19:20), this being proof itself of his eager desire. It is no small-minded person who believes himself to be still lacking something and who finds the ideal put forward for attaining the object of his desire to be deficient.

And what will Christ say? He suggests something great. First of all he sets out the reward when he says: “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”. Do you notice what a prize, what crowns he offers for this sporting pursuit?… To draw him he shows him a costly reward and leaves everything to his own judgement. Whatever might appear more difficult he leaves in shadow. Before speaking to him of conflicts and effort he shows him the reward: “ If you wish to be perfect” he says, and this is the glory and the happiness!… “You will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me”: this is the reward, the wonderful reward of following Christ and being his companion and friend! That young man valued earthly riches; Christ counsels him to rid himself of them, not to reduce him to abject poverty but to make him even richer.