Jesus Loves Him: Homily for Monday, May 27, 2024

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We need to be “all in” with Jesus.

Jesus loves him

There’s a real interesting dynamic in this Gospel reading today. This man comes before Jesus. Jesus loves him. But this man does not immediately accept the invitation to follow him. Notice that on the one hand, the commandments, following the commandments is not enough. But on the other hand, it is the very foundation for a real deep and fulfilling discipleship with Jesus.

Following the commandments is necessary for each one of us. But Jesus wants us to commit to following him with everything we have. We can’t in our lives hold back. For this man, what caused him to hold back was his wealth. For others, it might be making time for prayer. Maybe it’s our job. Maybe it is something that we really desire that is not good for us.

There are all kinds of things that can keep us from really following Jesus with our entire mind, heart, soul, and strength. And yet that is what God asks us to do. To love him with everything we have, with everything we are. To place ourselves fully and squarely in the presence of God. Notice that Jesus loves this man who has followed the commandments for his entire life. He looks at him with love. He is really impressed by the quality of the life of this man.

This is not someone that Jesus looks at and recognizes the need for mercy and forgiveness, the need to heal brokenness. This is a man that Jesus looks at with love. And yet, we see that at the end of the day, he can’t immediately follow Jesus with everything he has. Now, of course, we have to be careful because we don’t know the rest of the story, to quote Paul Harvey. We don’t know.

Did he, on his way back home, thinking about what Jesus had said, did he in fact sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Jesus? We don’t know. And yet, the invitation given to this young man is the invitation given to each one of us as well. Let us ask the Lord to help us to respond eagerly and fully that we may, without hesitation, commit today to being a disciple of Jesus and to follow him wherever he goes.

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