‘Jesus looked at him and loved him.’ Mark 10:21 and the theme for Prisons Week 2024.
“All I ask is the chance to prove that money can’t make me happy.” Spike Milligan.
Today’s Gospel, Mark 10:17-31! is topical, with a rich man asking Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. The conclusion of their encounter and its focus on wealth as Jesus tells him to give away all his possessions to the poor contrasts with recent political upheaval about values and money. The withdrawal of the winter fuel allowance for all pensioners and the acceptance of ‘freebies’ such as clothing, glasses and tickets to football matches or Taylor Swift concerts by the Prime Minister and other Government officials has lead to much criticism in the first one hundred days of the Labour Government. Similar issues have often ensnared politicians of all persuasions but Sir Keir Starmer admitted on BBC’s Newscast that there had been, “Bumps and side winds which I prefer we hadn’t bumped into and been pushed by….. stuff on donations, staffing issues, that sort of thing.” In the ongoing row with his Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, who called P&O Ferries “a rogue operator” in its business practices, the wealthy Prime Minister has himself been accused of dubious practice through freebies being accepted for his wife and himself when neither is short of money to buy them for themselves. The Bible states that, ‘Love of money is the root of all evil’ (1 Timothy 6:10) but George Bernard Shaw also noted that, ‘Lack of money is the root of all evil.’ Money, its accumulation and its loss is as much a concern today as in the time of Jesus and a major factor in the causes of homelessness and criminality, with this week marking Homelessness Sunday and Prisons Week.
However, in the Gospel Jesus is not condemning the rich man for being wealthy – money can do a great deal of good. His call is to discipleship, not poverty, but as well as, “You shall not steal,” Jesus also adds, “You shall not defraud,” as one of the commandments to bear in mind – perhaps he knows something about the man that we don’t. Jesus tells him to redistribute his wealth with the needs of the poor in mind and to do so, not only wealth would be affected but also power and status – a step too far for the unnamed man whose circumstances are also unknown. This is too much for him and he turns away from what is being asked – whereas the disciples have already forsaken so much of their own lives, income and security when called by Jesus to follow him unconditionally.
But perhaps there is much more to the question being asked. For anyone to inherit, someone must die and many are the disputes about inheritance gifts, capital gains tax and benefits arising from a death. But at what cost? Jesus, whose own death will pay the price for all humanity, simply looks at the man, loves him and later acknowledges how difficult all this is for rich people although he also warns of the dire consequences of putting earthly possessions before having treasure in heaven.
This Prisons Week, with the system in chaos due to overcrowding and so many homeless people being former prisoners who can’t find a stable home or income, there is much to ponder – not least how we look at others and are regarded ourselves.
Reflections for each day of Prisons Week can be found at prisons week.org
With my prayers; pob bendith,
Christine, Priest Guardian.