Who then can be saved?
Jdg 6,11-24a; Ps 84; Mt 19,23-30
20 AUGUST
After the rich man has gone, Jesus tells his disciples: “Truly, I say to you, a rich man will hardly enter the kingdom of heaven. I repeat it to you: it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”. It is announced for perdition for those who have wealth, or rather, the great difficulty they will encounter on the path that leads into the eternal kingdom of our God. But we must immediately point out that the perdition is not the fruit of the renunciation towards perfection proposed by Christ the Lord. It has much deeper roots.
If today we are not able to renounce to goods for a greater good, will we be able tomorrow to renounce to our goods in order not to sin? When the heart is a prisoner of its goods, will it succeed in keeping the covenant law? Or rather will it not be forced by wealth to forget God and neighbour? The goods of this person are a prison from which he cannot escape by natural forces, but only by the grace of our God and Lord. Wealth is a demanding master. It obligates to deliver to it all life. It is not satisfied with the body alone, but also demands soul and spirit. When spirit and soul are given to it, there is no hope of salvation. The master wants their total sacrifice. Mind, heart, feelings, faith and truth disappear from the man. Everything is seen and operated on the basis of wealth. From a master, it becomes a tyrant. For Jesus, the idolatry of wealth cancels God from the heart and mind. Here are some considerations of the Sapiential Books on richness and the exhortation of Saint Paul:
“No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (Mt 6,24). Wealth is useless on the day of wrath, but virtue saves from death (Pr 11, 4). He who trusts in his riches will fall, but like green leaves the just flourish (Pr 11, 28). Put falsehood and lying far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; (provide me only with the food I need (Pr 30, 8). The heart of a man changes his countenance, either for good or for evil (Sir 13, 24). Keeping watch over riches wastes the flesh, and the care of wealth drives away rest (Sir 31, 1). Tell the rich in the present age not to be proud and not to rely on so uncertain a thing as wealth but rather on God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. Tell them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, ready to share, thus accumulating as treasure a good foundation for the future, so as to win the life that is true life (1Tm 6,17-19).
The salvation of the rich is difficult, but not impossible. It is possible if the rich man is converted to the Word of the Gospel and, supported by the grace of God, which he must invoke without interruption, he will let his heart be attracted by the goods of heaven, while gradually he will be detached from the goods of the earth. The more he will turn towards eternity and the more he will abandon the ephemeral. Matter will no longer be a temptation for him. He might be saved.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” Then Peter said to him in reply, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
The apostles left everything. They set out to follow Jesus. They already know the answer. They offer all of themselves to Jesus and the Father offers them all of himself. To the all of man always the Lord responds with his all. The all of God is for all time and for eternity. There is no comparison between the all of the disciples and the all of God.
Mother of God, Angels and Saints arrange that our hearts is attracted only by Lord Jesus.