Dear RTB’ers,
It is hard for me to post a comment on a daily reading when almost the entire reading is Jesus’ teachings. Today we have more of His teachings that are parallel to Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. Matthew’s gospel has this Sermon isolated into three chapters (Matthew 5, 6, and 7), whereas Luke’s gospel has similar teaching spread around in various chapters (6, 11, 12, 18). Scholars have argued that Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount could well have occurred as described in Matthew, but also that this Sermon constituted the core of Jesus’ teachings, and that He probably spoke these words on many occasions in His travels. Luke having these teachings spread through many chapters supports this latter supposition.
Many of us are retired, with a “nest egg” of retirement savings stored up for these later years. So naturally from today’s readings we ask what Jesus is asking of us. In today’s reading Jesus tells us to “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy.” (v. 33a) Later Jesus responds to the “rich, young ruler” with an even stronger challenge, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Luke 18:22b) So what is His charge to us, here in Versailles in 2024? It’s a good discussion question (witness many Men’s Group discussions on this topic), but in the end it’s a question we each have to ask ourselves.
Blessings!
Fred