Wisdom 7:7-11 / Hebrews 4:12-13 / Mark 10:17-30
Many sayings and opinions have been expressed about the subject of money.
And it cannot be denied that money is indeed a very useful thing.
With money we are able to fulfil our basic needs of food, clothing and shelter.
With money, we will have a comfortable life and we are able to afford the luxuries of life.
On the noble side, money is used to help the poor and needy, and to fund humanitarian projects.
Generally speaking, no one would say that they don't want money, or that they have no need for money.
Indeed, money is useful, and he who has money can be quite powerful.
But there are things that money cannot buy and have no power over.
Money certainly cannot buy life. Money can never bring the dead back to life.
And money cannot buy true friendships.
And money also cannot buy love.
In fact, when we have no money, then we will know who will help us, who are our true friends and who will really love us.
In the gospel, a man ran up to Jesus, knelt before him and asked what must he do to inherit eternal life.
The man kept all commandments and he wanted to know if there is anything else to do.
Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him. Then he told the man to sell off everything he owned, give the money to the poor and he will have eternal life.
But that man's face fell, and he walked away sad, because he was a man of great wealth.
Jesus had looked steadily at him and loved him.
That man looked at his wealth, but did not look into the eyes of Jesus.
It is said that the eyes are the windows of the soul.
Just as Jesus looked steadily at that man and loved him, Jesus looks at us and loves us too.
But just as that man looked at his wealth, we may be too busy looking at other things.
Our eyes look and not just money and wealth. Our eyes look at what we desire for sensual pleasure and luxurious possessions.
When it comes to food, our eyes become bigger than our stomachs and we eat till we overeat.
So, we are busy looking at earthly desires and our eyes avert from looking at Jesus.
Still, Jesus continues to look at us with that look of love, with eyes that want to tell us something.
But we are busy, as busy as a bee.
Bees may be busy, but they still have time to talk to the flowers.
It seems that flowers talk to bee using static electricity. If a flower hasn't been visited recently by a bee, it gives off static electricity.
That static electricity tugs at the tiny hairs on the bees’ back, letting them know which flower still has nectar.
Like how the flower prompts the bee, Jesus prompts us to look at Him as He looks at us.
As we feel His promptings, may this hymn also come to our minds:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth
will grow strangely dim
in the light of His glory and grace.