The Lord tells us in the Ten Commandments not to covet our neighbors' possessions or spouse (Ex 20:17). In Christ Jesus, there is no need to covet or be in want. Because we belong to Jesus, all things are ours (1 Cor 3:21, 22). In giving up our lives to Jesus, we receive in return a hundred times as many houses, lands, and family members (see Mk 10:30). In Jesus, every spiritual gift and good is at our disposal (Eph 1:3). Everything is ordered to our benefit (2 Cor 4:15). This abundance occurs because we belong to Jesus, and all things are Christ's (Ps 24:1). The Lord is our Shepherd, so we have no need to covet material or spiritual goods (Ps 23:1). We can live in total detachment from this world and the things of this world (1 Jn 2:15), because we are living in total attachment to the King of this world, Jesus Christ.
We cannot love both God and the things of this world (Mt 6:24). When we love the things of this world and covet them, we lose our love for Jesus (see Jas 4:4; Phil 3:18-19). Conversely, by renouncing the things of this world — and Jesus says no one can be His disciple without renouncing all his possessions (Lk 14:33) — then, because we belong to Christ, all possessions become ours.
We don't give ourselves to Jesus so we can gain all things. It's the opposite. By renouncing all things and clinging to the Lord alone, we gain all things, temporal and spiritual. In the words of the old spiritual, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."
| PRAYER: | Father, "for [Jesus'] sake I have forfeited everything; I have accounted all else rubbish so that Christ may be my Wealth, and I may be in Him" (Phil 3:8-9). |
| PROMISE: | "From now on, you will be catching men." –Lk 5:10 |
| PRAISE: | George had once put his trust in his education and his job, but has since learned to trust only in his Lord. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College