[stephenkhoo]

SURRENDERING THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: 1 PETER 1:3–9; MARK 10:17-27
http://www.universalis.com/20140303/mass.htm

Today, the theme on faith iterates what we have been saying about faith, namely, the ultimate faith is faith not simply in God, but in Christ who is the foundation of Christian faith.

What is the issue with the rich young man? He wanted to be in control. Apparently, there is nothing wrong in that since he did not do anything evil. Indeed, when Jesus asked him whether he knew the commandments, he was able to boast confidently, saying, “Master, I have kept all these from my earliest days”.

In truth, even when doing good, the rich man was worshipping himself. His good works were another subtle form of idolatry. For what is idolatry if not the worship of self? If idolatry were the greatest of all sins, it is because in idolatry, man refuses to acknowledge God as the Lord. Instead, man wants to live without God but on his own strength. This, in essence, was the sin of Adam and Eve. They wanted to be like God so that they no longer had to depend on God but only on themselves.

Isn’t this our temptation too? Although we have learnt that faith and reason must always go together, yet we tend to rely more on reason than on faith in practice. We depend more on our talents and hard work than on faith in God. Indeed, we would do everything to ensure that whatever we do will run smoothly. Deep in our hearts, we tend to think that success is due to sheer hard work and good planning.

Do we believe that success is due to God’s grace and help? Can we say with the psalmist that God is faithful to His covenant? If we do, then even when we fail, we should not be overly disappointed since we know that everything is done in accordance with the will of God.

If not, like the rich man, we are always living in anxiety and fear. If we do not trust in Jesus, it is because we tend to believe more in ourselves. Ironically, the most insecure people in the world may be the rich and the powerful rather than the poor and the weak. This is because the rich and powerful have always depended on themselves. They do not understand the meaning of grace and the power of God and the miracles that come from faith. Whereas those who are poor learn to rely on God more than themselves; they who have seen how God has worked in their lives can commend all their work to the Lord who will bring them to fruition and success.

This explains why Jesus invites us to let go. He told the rich man, “Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” The reality of our faith is that we can experience the power of miracles through faith only in our nothingness and vulnerability. In asking the rich man to give up everything, it is so that he can experience the power that comes from faith. So long as the rich man does not want to let go and wants to be in control, he will not witness God’s power personally.

But how can one trust God and surrender ourselves to Him in faith? The solution lies in following Jesus. This was what Jesus told the rich man. He did not simply ask him to give up everything and trust in God, but to follow Him. Only by following Jesus can he grow in faith and trust in the Father’s love. We must begin by letting go of small things and placing our trust in God. In time to come, as we come to know Jesus personally, we will also trust Him with our whole life.

If the early Christians in the first reading could let go and suffer gladly for Christ “being plagued by all sorts of trials” as St Peter says, then it was because of their faith. Most of all, Peter praised them saying, “You did not see him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him, you are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, because you believe; and you are sure of the end to which your faith looks forward, that is, the salvation of your souls.”

This is the kind of faith that we are called to imitate and cultivate. It is through faith in Christ that we are told “God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy has given us a new birth as his sons, by raising Jesus Christ from the dead, so that we have a sure hope and the promise of an inheritance that can never be spoilt or soiled and never fade away.” The power and faith of the Christian ultimately rests on the resurrection of Christ. If we believe that God has raised Him up from the dead, we too will raise up with Him, now in this life and in the life to come.