In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, a rich man comes to Christ and asks him what he must do to inherit everlasting life, and Christ tells the rich man to keep the commandments. The man responds that he has kept the commandments. Christ doesn’t correct his response but proceeds to tell him to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow him. The rich man went away sorrowful, as he had great possessions.

Fr. Micah encourages us not to judge the rich man, but to pity him. This man was invited to follow our Lord, to see his love on the cross, and to behold him risen. However, because he could not let go of his riches, he missed that opportunity. He chose his material security and satisfaction over the will of the Lord. 

Wealth allows us to have a sense of autonomy and control, and to give it up is a remarkable act of trust in Christ. To follow Christ, to live as he told us, requires a great amount of trust. However, Fr. Micah encourages us to practice this trust in Christ, reminding us that he is the himself the goodness of God, he defeated death, and he alone is everlasting life. 

We also trust in Christ because he has loved us. In the Apostle Mark’s account of the story of the rich man, he says that Jesus looked at the man with love. We can grow our trust by loving him who first loved us with the love that is greater than death.