The Gospel for Monday of the 20th week in Ordinary Time is taken from Matthew 19:16 22. A young man approached Jesus and said, teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life? He answered him, why do you ask me about the good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments. He asked him, which ones?
Jesus replied, you shall not kill, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness. Honor your father and your mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. The young man said to him, all of these I have observed. What do I still lack? 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.
The man asked Jesus a question, and in a sense you can feel that he knows what the answer will be. What do I need to be good? What do I need to be perfect? Jesus said, well, you need to keep the Commandments. And he said, well, I’ve done that. And so he said, well, wait a minute.
You are looking for perfection, and I’m not interested in perfection as much as I’m interested in you being connected to people. When you make yourself better than other people, you’re disconnecting. He was into that perfection mode. And so Jesus says, look, let go of all these things you think you should be. Let go of all your sense of perfection and then come and follow me. That’s the heart of the message of Jesus.
Not that we be perfect, but that we be connected to one another and work together to find this secret kingdom that he has promised to each of us. Please take a few moments to reflect upon the thoughts that I’ve offered in these reflections, and then I will offer a closing prayer. Foreign Closing Prayer Father, we are all working together for the kingdom. We are never perfect. Bless us with patience as we grow in our understanding of what it is you ask of us so that our part in forming the kingdom of God will be effective. And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.
