What's In it for Me?

 [Homily, 31st Sunday - Luke 18:18-27]

Let’s face it.  We Americans have all been “conditioned,” trained if you will, to be capitalists.  We expect to make a profit on any ‘deals’ in which we engage.  No one puts money into a 401k expecting to come away with less after some amount of time (although many of us are seeing that very thing right now).  No one starts a business hoping to spend more than they take in.

Even our Lord’s parable of the talents speaks to God’s expectation that He looks for us to return more to Him than was given to us via the gifts He bestowed upon us.

And so, it’s not surprising that in the three verses of the 18th Chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, we find exactly this type of question put to our Lord by His own Apostles.

They had just witnessed the “rich young man” leave the presence of our Lord, and the young man was devastated because “the prescription” that Jesus gave to him to cure his particular spiritual illness was to sell all that you have and distribute to the poor.  It is not even clear if this poor young man heard the “good news” that was the ending to this instruction, and you will have treasure in heaven, plus the even better news, then come and follow Me.  The young man was given the blessing, the ability to become a disciple of God the Son.  But he either did not hear this great invitation, or he chose to ignore it because of his particular attachment to those earthly things that Jesus, in His understanding of every human soul, saw as his impediment to greater things in his spiritual life.

Having been witnesses to all of this, it is now the Lord's Apostles who are wondering, ‘Well, what’s in it for us?’

It is once again Peter who speaks for the whole group.  He poses the question without asking it in specific words.  He says to Jesus, See, we have left all and followed You. 

See, Lord?  Haven’t WE done what you were encouraging that young man to do?  So, You’ve laid out the terms of payment.  What will be our ‘interest’?

And our Lord is not offended by their question.  Indeed, Jesus’ answer speaks volumes to all who throughout all ages have chosen to follow the path He has defined for those who wish to be known as His followers and His disciples.

Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more…

Great!  We’ll collect interest.  But how, and when?  Jesus continues:

in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.

So here’s the promise.  You will receive more than you give.  Note that the promise does not say that you will be financially prosperous.  “More” is defined in God’s terms, not in man’s terms!  But the greatest “more” is that final one—eternal life.

For you see, there are only two destinies for every soul.  Eternal death (separation from the love of God for all eternity, the definition of ‘hell’) or eternal life (being in the presence of God’s love for eternity, the definition of heaven).

So indeed, what’s in it for any of us is what we’ve put into it.  Store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven...for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Mat 6:20-21)