May we truly value what Jesus has to offer

Do you treasure what you have received from God through Jesus Christ? Do you value the grace you have received to the same extent that Peter did when he was writing his letter, part of which we read in today’s first reading from 1 Peter 1:10-16? Read again this passage and think about how much you value this grace or gift from God. First of all, this salvation, the gift of life eternal, was what the prophets were looking and searching so hard for. Peter goes on to say that the prophets, Isaiah in particular in his suffering servant songs, looked towards the pain that Jesus would endure so that we could know the wonderful gift of God’s grace and the glory that this would bring. We would become children of God, sharers in God’s life through the death and resurrection of Christ. Peter believed that even the angels longed to catch a glimpse of the glories with which we would be gifted as a result of Jesus’ humiliation and death.

 

Peter goes on to say that you should free yourself of the burdens of doubt or disbelief or mindless concerns. Let go and put your trust in the grace that will be given you when Christ is revealed. This is an extraordinary expression of faith and a commitment to change. All this brings me to the gospel for today from Mark 10:28-31. This gospel passage follows the incident when the rich man fails to meet the challenge of Jesus to give up all he has in order to inherit eternal life. Jesus said that it is harder for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God than it is for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. Here Peter turns to Jesus and asks, “What about us? We have left everything to follow you.” Jesus’ response is to assure us that the sacrifices we make for the sake of the gospel will be repaid a hundred times over. Here again, the challenge is to believe that what Jesus has to offer us is so valuable that it is worth the sacrifices we make in standing up for the values of the gospel. Let us pray for that faith which enables us to truly value what Jesus has to offer and the courage to make the sacrifices necessary to gain the reward of life eternal.