Wis 7:7-11 | Ps 90 | Heb 4:12-13 | Mk 10:17-30 or 10:17-27
“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
These are the wise words of Winnie-the-Pooh. They often surface at graduations, funerals, and other significant moments of transition. The childhood favorite names a common reality for humans—and apparently, animated bears, too: saying goodbye to people, places, and things we care about can be complicated. On one hand, we may fear losing closeness and connection. What will life be like without this source of meaning? On the other hand, we may feel grateful both for what was and for what could be. Possibilities abound each time a person steps into a new chapter.
The rich man in today’s gospel has a hard time saying goodbye to his possessions. Not only did individual items hold meaning for him, but in those days, society viewed material wealth as a sign of spiritual virtue. The rich man was living with what he thought to be a good, holy life—so Jesus’ asking him to “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor” floored him. Christians often criticize the man for feeling sad about this call, as if a major life move wasn’t supposed to have any effect on him, as it would us.
Jesus’ request is radical. Answering his call to “Come, follow me” means giving up much—and gaining even more. Even so, the transition into deeper discipleship leads us towards holy indifference, a practice that may feel strange at first. Saint Ignatius of Loyola describes holy indifference as the freedom to love God above all else. People who practice holy indifference still care about the things of this world—people, places, objects, experiences—but they are detached enough that they can leave behind the things that pull them away from God and invest in the things that bring them closer to God. Growing in relationship with God is the end goal to which all things point. Such detachment often requires saying goodbye, which can be “so hard” in Winnie’s words. The rich man’s sadness makes sense.
Luckily, Jesus promises his presence every step of the way. Neither the rich man nor any of us will ever have to say a hard goodbye to the Son of God. Jesus assures all of us that together with God and our neighbors, we will enter the heavenly kingdom. Together we will experience the glory of God’s kingdom overflowing with grace and promises of salvation.
Jesus continues to frame kingdom work as a team effort. The rich man obeyed important commandments, but his focus stayed on himself: “…all of these I have observed from my youth” and “…what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Despite good intentions, the rich man falls prey to an eternal mistake: he things he can achieve salvation on his own. He relies on himself instead of God, believing that salvation is yet another possession to gain, rather than a gift to inherit.
Jesus turns the man’s focus back to relationships. God will bring about everlasting life. Giving to the poor will lead to treasure in heaven.
The journey of transformation into deeper discipleship will be painful, no doubt. There will be discomfort and even suffering as the practice of holy indifference takes root in our hearts. The weight of the cross is always heavy. Yet, with Christ and his Body by our side, we can set our sights on God’s kingdom with resurrection hope. Christ promises us “all things are possible for God.”
May our lives reflect this truth.