Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
In this familiar Gospel tale we often overlook a crucial detail: notice that when Jesus tells the young man that in order to gain eternal life, he has but to keep the commandments of God, the young man asks Jesus to specify “which ones”, as if there were some which were optional. Then it seems as though Jesus indulges him but, in truth, He exposes him: notice that Jesus only names, in essence, the latter seven of the Ten Commandments, combining the last two into the general commandment to love one’s neighbor as oneself.
Why not name as well the first three Commandments which specifically relate to our relationship with God? This is perhaps answered best in Mark’s version of this encounter, in which we read that after the young man says that he has observed all these things since his youth, “Jesus, looking at him, loved him…” (Mark 10:21) Perhaps Jesus saw that the young man was sincere, was mostly good, and simply struggled with attachment to the point of being guilty of adultery? For when Jesus suggests he sell everything, give it to the poor, and follow Him, He is essentially saying, “If you wish to be perfect, to take the narrow path to heaven, give away the idol of your wealth and follow me: make God your chief love, your motivation, your worship, rather than your possessions.” The fact the young man does not do this and goes away sad tells us that Jesus’ invitation exposed him to himself; he cannot bring himself to such a point of deep conversion: he realizes he must follow all the commandments of God if he is to enter His Kingdom. For, as Jesus will teach, “…store up treasures in heaven…for where your treasure is, there also will your heart be,” (Matthew 6:20-21). This young man’s treasure was here on earth—not in heaven—and thus he goes away sad and distraught, for as St. Augustine teaches, “…Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.”