Come, Follow Me

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: `You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.'" He said to him, "Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." Mark 10:17-21

When I was a child I would try to walk in others' footprints in the sand. Some people had left footprints that were so far apart it was impossible for me. Their stride was too long, or I was short and they were tall. Others were very erratic, stopping and starting twisting one way and the other. Often the other small feet were not wide like mine. I would imagine who was with them and try to figure out where they were going. Many prints finally disappeared washed away by wind and water. None the less, it was fun and challenging to follow someone else's lead.

A faithful young man comes to Jesus seeking how gain eternal life. He has kept the traditional laws of the faith. Jesus understands that he is extremely wealthy and comfortable. Despite his faithfulness and goodness, he has never stepped out of his comfort zone. He has not walked in someone's shoes, he has not had to follow another nor has he had to share anything. He is asked to forgo comfort, to share his goods and with the needy -to live a life of service rather than stay in his life of being served. We are invited by God to live a life of service and to let go of those things which keep us from following God.

Today I ask God to help me let go of material anxieties, to offer all that I am and to hold nothing back. May we examine our lives and find those things which have held us back from offering ourselves to God and others. May we trust that God goes before us and leads us each day in safety. May we walk in the footsteps of the Savoir, letting go of worry and taking up the love and care of others as our love offering to the God of love.