Our relationship with Jesus can be frightening

Reading: Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.” Mark 10:28.

Good morning, happy Tuesday, and many blessings.

We are at the final stages of the earthly ministry of Jesus in Mark's Gospel (Mark10:28-31). In each segment, we see Jesus asking his friends for a personal response to him, and most times they fail. Yesterday, we listened to the story of the rich man who walked away from the potential relationship with Jesus because he was too preoccupied with his possessions. The statement of Jesus was harsh - few can enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Today we hear the perplexed Peter pose the weighty question, "what about us? We've given up everything to follow you. Will we make it?" You can tell it is a frightening question to ask because it is laden with the fear of rejection and purposelessness. On a personal level it asks, "do I matter to you? I thought I did." You can sense an unspoken dialogue behind the few stated words. Although the words of Jesus sound harsh to many, he means them as a compassionate response to their anxiety. Yes, they have a place with him, and yes, their reward will be more abundant than they imagine.

This passage does remind us of the primacy of our relationship with Jesus, and that can be frightening. I have often heard concerned people pray for their loved ones who turned away from the church and/or Christ. It breaks their heart. They want the best for their loved ones and they want to know they will be with them in the eternal life that is to come. Their love is so strong that it sometimes gets in the way of following the direction Christ sets for them. 

Family bonds are impenetrable. We are extremely interconnected, and we know that we cannot erase the bonds that exist, and as a reconciling people, we want to reach out to others and settle disagreements. As Christians, we want to heal the rift between the estranged. This is in the fabric of our understanding of charity. To reject property or family or lands for Jesus is fantastically too difficult to digest. 

The key to the story is held in the passage we heard yesterday when the rich man walked away from Jesus with great sadness. He gave up on the potential friendship. He walked away and left Jesus. The chance that Jesus could become meaningful to him was snuffed out. He closed his mind, heart, and attitude to the possibility of a friendship. We haven't done that, and we are not likely to do so. In this, we can find great comfort.

Today, I reflect on this exchange as St Peter might have done at the end of his life. What has it meant to me to follow Jesus? What have I given up? What was my hundredfold, in the way of joy, contentment, peace of soul?  What God offers to us, and what Jesus offers to his disciples, is a gift of God, not our right.

Blessings,

Fr. Luis+