Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
(Ezekiel
28:1-10; Matthew 19:23-30)
There is a
debate within the Church about the quantity of people who will be saved. Since Vatican II, many Catholics – ordinary
people in the pew as well as theologians – think that most everyone is headed
for salvation. They sometimes say that
we have to believe in a hell, but we don’t have to believe that anyone resides
there. More conservative types question
this reasoning. They take the gospel
more literally. In today’s passage Jesus
is typically less sanguine about mass salvation.
His
disciples are amazed when Jesus says that the rich will have trouble being
saved. They probably are not thinking
the rich are better than others or that their wealth is a sign of
salvation. They are likely surprised with Jesus’
pessimism about the rich because the rich have money to pay for
sacrifices. Jesus thinks to the
contrary. He probably finds the rich presumption
for thinking that they can buy their way into eternal life. But he knows a sure way to receive the reward. Those who make sacrifices for his sake will
have eternal life.
As much as
we love our family and friends, we should not presume that they will be
saved. Rather we should pray that they
come to imitate Jesus’ humility and love.
Only by doing so can one hope to experience eternal life.
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