Judges 2:11-19: & Mathew19:16-22 Summary and Reflection-21st August 2023

 Judges 2:11-19: & Mathew19:16-22 Summary and Reflection

Today’s first reading from the Book of Judges speaks about the cycle of disobedience, judgment, and deliverance that the Israelites experienced after entering the Promised Land. This passage takes place after the death of Joshua, who led the Israelites in conquering Canaan. The Israelites began to turn away from God, worshiping other gods and engaging in immoral practices. As a result, God allowed their enemies to oppress them.

And in today’s gospel of Mathew, we see A wealthy young man approaching Jesus and asking how to gain eternal life. Jesus tells him to follow the commandments. The young man claims he has done so and asks what more he lacks. Jesus tells him to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Him. The young man is saddened and walks away because he values his wealth.

Reflection:   We as human beings have the tendency to drift away from God and embrace worldly desires and practices. But God has patience and willingness to forgive when we repent and turn back to Him. The cycle of disobedience and deliverance serves as a cautionary tale, illustrating the consequences of forsaking a relationship with God.

In our day to day life, we have a lot of tensions between material wealth and spiritual priorities. At times Our inability to let go of attachments towards wealth can become a hindrance to our spiritual growth and our values and preferences can impact our relationship with God and our eternal destiny. Therefore, let us pray for the grace that may be able to give more importance to God and for spiritual wealth.