Through the eye of a needle

Monday, Feb 27, 20178th Week in
Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Sir 17:20-24 Gospel: Mk 10:17–27

Just as Jesus was setting out on his journey again, a man ran up, knelt before him and asked, “Good Master, what must I do to have eternal life?”Jesus answered, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat, honor your father and mother.” The man replied, “I have obeyed all these commandments since my childhood.”Then Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him and he said, “For you, one thing is lacking. Go, sell what you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and follow me.” On hearing these words, his face fell and he went away sorrowful for he was a man of great wealth.Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were shocked at these words, but Jesus insisted, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”They were more astonished than ever and wondered, “Who, then, can be saved?” Jesus looked steadily at them and said, “For humans it is impossible, but not for God; all things are possible with God.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Jesus’ advice to the rich young man to sell everything he owned came as a surprise to the Jews who considered wealth as a God-given opportunity to help the poor. The Jerome Biblical Commentary suggests that this be treated as a “pro hac vice” case applicable only to the young man’s situation. The selling of all material possessions cannot be made a conditio-sine-qua-non to discipleship because we also need material things to cover basic necessities.
Today’s Gospel ends with this radical verse: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” The Jerome Biblical Commentary challenges this verse on account of findings that some manuscripts had substituted the Greek word ‘kamilos’ (rope) with another similar Greek word ‘kamelos’ (camel). Accordingly the verse should read: “It is easier for a rope to pass through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”.
Jesus’ call is not the sweeping abandonment of the world but the cultivation of the spirit of detachment so that even if one were to be preoccupied with basic material needs he’d still give to the needs of his soul the lion’s share of his attention. – Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr. DM.
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