"Ihatag mo ang kuwarta sa mga imol, kag magaangkon ka sang manggad didto sa langit"

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Marcos 10:17-27)

Lunes (Marso 3)

Sang malakat na kuntani si Jesus, may isa ka tawo nga nagdalagan pakadto sa iya, nagluhod kag nagpamangkot, “Maayo nga Manunodlo, ano bala ang himuon ko agod akon maangkon ang kabuhi nga dayon?”

Si Jesus nagpamangkot sa iya, “Ngaa ginatawag mo ako nga maayo? Wala gid sing bisan isa nga maayo kundi ang Dios lamang.

Nahibaluan mo naman ang mga kasugoan: ‘Indi ka magpatay, indi ka magpanginbabayi ukon magpanginlalaki, indi ka magpangawat, indi ka magbutig, indi ka magdaya, tahura ang imo amay kag iloy.’ ”

Ang tawo nagsiling sa iya, “Manunodlo, sugod sang lamharon pa ako natuman ko na ining mga kasugoan.”

Gintulok sia ni Jesus sing mahigugmaon kag ginsingganan, “Isa pa ka butang ang kinahanglan para sa imo. Lakat ka kag ibaligya ang tanan mo nga pagkabutang, kag ihatag mo ang kuwarta sa mga imol, kag magaangkon ka sang manggad didto sa langit, kag dali sunod ka sa akon.”

Sang pagkabati sini sang tawo, nahulog ang iya guya, kag naglakat sia nga masinulob-on, kay madamo ang iya mga pagkabutang.

Si Jesus nagpanghulonghulong sa palibot niya kag nagsiling sa iya mga gintuton-an, “Daw ano kabudlay para sa mga manggaranon ang pagsulod sa Ginharian sang Dios!”

Ang mga gintuton-an naurongan sa sini nga mga pulong, pero si Jesus nagpadayon sa pagsiling, “Mga anak ko, daw ano kabudlay ang pagsulod sa Ginharian sang Dios!

Labi pa kabudlay para sa isa ka manggaranon ang pagsulod sa Ginharian sang Dios, sang sa paglapos sang isa ka kamelyo sa buho sang dagom.”

Tungod sini, ang mga gintuton-an natingala gid kag nagpinamangkutanay, “Sin-o na lang bala ang maluwas?”

Gintulok sila ni Jesus sing tadlong, kag ginsabat, “Para sa tawo indi ini mahimo, pero para sa Dios mahimo ini, kay ang tanan nga butang sarang mahimo sang Dios.”

Prayers:

"Lord Jesus, you have captured our hearts and opened to us the treasures of heaven. May you always be my treasure and delight and may nothing else keep me from giving you my all."

***

Reflection of the Daily Gospel:

What gives hope and satisfaction to our desire for happiness and security? A young man who had the best the world could offer – wealth and security – came to Jesus because he lacked one thing. He wanted the kind of lasting peace and happiness which money could not buy him. The answer he got, however, was not what he was looking for. He protested that he kept all the commandments; but Jesus spoke to the trouble in his heart. One thing kept him from giving himself whole-heartedly to God. While he lacked nothing in material goods, he was nonetheless possessive of what he had. He placed his hope and security in what he possessed. So when Jesus challenged him to make God his one true possession and treasure, he became dismayed. Why did he go away from Jesus with sadness rather than with joy? His treasure and his hope for happiness were misplaced. Jesus challenged the young man because his heart was possessive. He was afraid to give to others for fear that he would lose what he had gained. He sought happiness and security in what he possessed rather than in who he could love and serve and give himself in undivided devotion.

Why does Jesus tell his disciples to "sell all" for the treasure of his kingdom? Treasure has a special connection to the heart, the place of desire and longing, the place of will and focus. The thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure. The Lord himself is the greatest treasure we can have. Giving up everything else to have the Lord as our treasure is not sorrowful, but the greatest joy. [See Jesus' parable about the treasure hidden in a field in Matthew 13:44.] Selling all that we have could mean many different things – letting go of attachments, friendships, influences, jobs, entertainments, styles of life – really anything that might stand in the way of our loving God first and foremost in our lives and giving him the best we can with our time, resources, gifts, and service.

Those who are generous towards God and towards their neighbor find that they cannot outgive God in his generosity towards us. God blesses us with the priceless treasures of his kingdom – freedom from fear and the griping power of sin, selfishness and pride which block his love and grace in our lives; freedom from loneliness, isolation and rejection which keep his children from living together in love, peace, and unity; and freedom from hopelessness, despair, and disillusionment which blind our vision of God's power to heal every hurt, bind every wound, and remove every blemish which mar the image of God within us. God offers us treasure which money cannot buy. He alone can truly satisfy the deepest longing and desires of our heart. Are you willing to part with anything that might keep you from seeking true joy with Jesus?

Why does Jesus issue such a strong warning to the rich (as well as to the rest of us who desire to be rich)? Was he really against wealth? We know that Jesus was not opposed to wealth per se, nor was he opposed to the wealthy. He had many friends who were well-to-do, including some notorious tax collectors! One even became an apostle! Jesus' warning reiterated the teaching of the Old Testament wisdom: Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is perverse in his ways (Proverbs 28:6; see also Psalm 37:16). Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to desist (Proverbs 23:4). Jesus seems to say that it is nearly impossible for the rich to live as citizens of God's kingdom. The camel was regarded as the largest animal in Palestine. The "eye of the needle" could be interpreted quite literally or it could figuratively describe the narow and low gate of the city walls which was used by travellers when the larger public gate was locked after dark. A normal sized man had to "lower" himself to enter that gate. A camel would literally have to knell and crawl through it. Why is Jesus so cautious about wealth? Wealth can make us falsely independent. The church at Laodicea was warned about their attitude towards wealth and a false sense of security: "For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing" (Revelations 3:17). Wealth can also lead us into hurtful desires and selfishness (see 1 Timothy 6:9-10). Look at the lesson Jesus gave about the rich man and his sons who refused to aid the poor man Lazarus (see Luke 16:19ff). They also neglected to serve God. The scriptures give us a paradox: we lose what we keep and we gain what we give away. Generosity will be amply repaid, both in this life and in eternity (Proverbs 3:9-10, Luke 6:38). Jesus offers us an incomparable treasure which no money can buy and no thief can steal. The thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure. Material wealth will shackle us to this earth unless we guard our hearts and set our treasure on God and his everlasting kingdom. Where is your treasure?