Wisdom to Live Faith and Life!

Sunday, October 13, 2024

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wis 7:7-11; Heb 4:12-13; Mk 10: 17-27

The twenty-eighth Sunday invites us to pray for wisdom to live our faith and life. 

In the first reading, we find the wise king Solomon praying for wisdom. He prefers wisdom over power, riches, health, comeliness, and light. Why would King Solomon prize wisdom over everything else that we otherwise desire and seek with utmost interest? Two reasons can be given: first, the wise king believed that the gift of wisdom would grant all that he would have asked for; secondly, though every other blessing would come to an end one day, wisdom would not. In this sense, King Solomon believed wisdom to be the guarantor of all blessings while eliminating all that would cause suffering due to the inordinateness that characterizes our search. In sum, King Solomon teaches what we must ask and aspire for in life. 

The second reading highlights the wisdom of God’s Word, which is omniscient that nothing is unknown to or hidden from it. God’s Word gives life and achieves its purpose by inspiring everyone to embrace change and transformation. The expressions ‘soul and spirit’ and ‘joints and marrow’ point to the depth of its comprehension and penetrating power. The total knowledge of human beings, which is only possible for God, is attributed to God’s Word as well. However, there is a caution present here. Though God’s Word is lifesaving, it also demands listening and obedience lest we should be judged by it. The power of God’s Word is such that we can never alienate its compelling invitation to renew and transform ourselves. 

The Gospel develops the theme of wisdom. Here the question of wisdom is regarding the rich man who wants to follow Jesus. The man wins Jesus’ admiration because of his faithfulness to the observance of God’s laws. The courage with which he admits to Jesus saying, ‘Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth’ is a testament to his God-fearing life. It is his honesty that earns Jesus’ love for him. It is from this love that Jesus suggests, ‘Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ However, all is not well with the rich man. 

His response to Jesus’ invitation is intriguing because it is he who asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Though he asked the question, Jesus’ answer (that he must sell his possessions) was too hard for him to follow. Jesus rightly notes that ‘You are lacking in one thing.’ The rich man was privileged with the scriptural knowledge, which he applied to all that was easy and convenient for him. Whereas he became oblivious to the commandment about sharing the benefits of his wealth with the poor and needy. In this sense, he could not apply his knowledge to help him grow in wisdom. As Jesus noted, the rich man lacked in one thing. And that one thing was wisdom. 

The readings of today invite us to reflect on three themes. 

1.Wisdom: Wisdom is God’s gift. Hence, it is a precious gift. Everybody gets wise with age. But it is called wisdom if we have it when we need it most. For instance, an old man might have a better understanding of life. But it is wisdom to have had the same understanding when he was young. Like King Solomon, we must pray for God’s grace to grow in wisdom and understanding. 

2. Wealth: Jesus’ concern is that wealth should never be an impediment for us to enter into our heavenly abode. In Judaism, wealth is a sign of divine favor with an obligation to give alms to the poor. The same wealth that is experienced as a blessing turns into a curse if the one blessed with it forgets this obligation. In wealth, we are called to remember the poor and the needy. 

3. Discipleship: Conviction, not convenience, makes one a disciple of God. As such, discipleship is about sacrifice, dedication, and service. The example of the rich man in the Gospel shows that we can end up accumulating knowledge about religion without being able to practice it. Discipleship acquires meaning when we can walk faithfully in the footsteps of our Master. 

Let us pray that with God’s gift of wisdom, we may practice our faith through a meaningful life. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar