Reflections and Readings for Monday 17 August 2020 

Ezekiel 24: 15 – 24            Psalm 79: 1- 8           Matthew 19: 16 – 22

 The Collect :  

God of the foreigner and the outcast, 

no one is excluded from your embrace: 

inspire us so to love the world 

that all will live in the dignity and security 

of belonging in God’s family; 

through Jesus Christ our Lord, 

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, 

one God, now and for ever. 

Amen 

A young man approached Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” … 

Isn’t this story startling? A young man comes to Jesus desiring eternal life. He’s a good guy. He obeys the commandments. He loves his neighbour as he loves himself. Yet, he ends up walking away sad because he couldn’t follow Jesus. His possessions stood between him and Jesus. They were too great, at least, more important to him. They possessed him. He couldn’t let go of them, because of the hold they had on him. He found out that though he desired eternal life, he desired his possessions more. He found his heart’s deepest desire. As Jesus said, we find where our heart is by locating our treasure. 

This story can show us clearly the power of things we call “mine.” We don’t really sense their incredible power over us, until we hear the invitation of Jesus to “let go.” Then, we know how in bondage we are. Only when we are told to “let go” of these things, do we see how bound they are to the core of our self-identity, that to be without them feels like a “part of us” is dying. Surrendering what I “have and possess” is surrendering something of myself. 

The greatest possession, which we hold most dearly, is what others think of us. It’s the possession that almost all the other things that possess us serve. I suspect that if we would think of five things we’d have a hard time doing without, most of them would have something to do with our “image.” Most likely the connection is unconscious. But when we examine our conscience – which is really bringing to awareness what our deepest motivations and desires are – we will often discover that the things we are least free about have to do with our self-image and how we want others to see us. 

Part of this has to do with how universally it is assumed that people who have a lot (degrees, jewellery, refined tastes, etc.) are more important, even more valuable. The assumption is that accomplishment is a sign of gifts and talent, hard work and enterprise. This even goes so far that we think more attractive people are better people. Poor people are universally judged as not only lacking things, but as lacking strength, virtue, value. 

So, when Jesus says, “Let go,” it is quite understandable why we often go away sad. Even when he says, “It’ll be okay. I’ll fill you with a peace and a joy and a freedom nothing in this world can give you,” we resist. Perhaps we say “yes” at first, but a lot of the time we bargain our way around Jesus. We “give up” some things to appear free, but deep down, when we examine our conscience, we are holding on for dear life to what we look like, to how others think of us, to things that give us small pleasures and small importance. 

How is it possible to leave all these possessions behind so completely, that the complete desire of our hearts is to follow Jesus, freely, heroically, and dying-to-self love? 

We use this chorus as our prayer today : 

All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to Thee I freely give;
I will ever love and trust You,
In Your presence daily live. 

I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Saviour,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus, I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Your love and power;
Let Your blessing fall on me. 

Amen