Daily Scripture Reflection & Prayer: May 30, 2023

Mark 10:28-31

Peter began to say to Jesus, 'We have given up everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come. But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first."

Breaking the text open:

The gospel for today, Tuesday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time, is taken from the Gospel of Mark and immediately follows Jesus’ encounter with the rich, young man who was unwilling to sell all his possessions and follow Jesus. After the rich young man’s rejection of Jesus’ invitation, Jesus noted how difficult wealth can make it for us to truly grasp the essentials of life, namely our relationship with the LORD and with our sisters and brothers.

This is where today’s text occurs. Peter reminds Jesus that those following Him had given up much to follow as Jesus’ disciples. Jesus assures Peter that those who had given up much to follow Him would be rewarded greatly, but not necessarily in the ways expected in our material world. Jesus also acknowledges that there is suffering in following in Jesus’ footsteps for the sake of the Gospel. Those who humbly acknowledge their need for Christ, in the divine plan of eternal salvation, will fare better than those who hold too tightly the material and worldly gains of life. We cannot buy our way into life in abundance with Christ.

Meditating on the text:

What am I willing to set aside for life in, with and through Christ? Am I willing to lay down my pride? Am I willing to acknowledge my dependence upon the LORD?

Praying:

LORD, Almighty Father, Beloved and only-begotten Son - Jesus Christ, Most Holy Spirit, we come to You this day aware of our need for You, source of our very being, “the way and the truth and the life,” comforter of our very souls. Grant that we may put down our pride and sense of self-reliance and pick up instead our humility and acknowledgement of our dependence upon You and your love. Foster in us the desire to share your love with all whom we encounter. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.