The encounter between Jesus and the rich man in today's gospel conveys a lesson which might sound far away yet it is close. It might sound far away because some people would not consider themselves as having great wealth as the rich man in the gospel periscope. But the rich man in the gospel speaks a lot to us.
Though this man had always kept the commandments, he still felt that something was missing. For me, that one thing was lack of detachment from his wealth. Riches are not just money but anything that enriches you, gives you security, and comfort. It could be position, talent, beauty, intelligence, relationships, connections, and so on.
Detachment plays significant role in our journey of faith. The things we are attached to decide how we see earthly life, and eternal life. Those attached to money will think of eternal life as a place where money falls like rain. Those attached to cars would imagine a large kingdom with fleet of every kind of luxurious cars. Those attached to alcohol would imagine heaven as a big brewery with countless taps for every kind of beer, wine, whisky and so on.
Spiritual life, therefore, begins with awareness of the things that hold us back; it starts with that enlightenment from the gaze and light of God. It starts from the wisdom to differentiate between gold, silver and the word of God that give those things existence. It begins with the courage to detach from mere worldly wisdom to eternal wisdom, as mentioned in the first reading. Of course, all these happen when we allow the grace of God to nurture us, when we are open to a new light that makes us see things differently and allow the word of God to cut into the places where the soul is divided from the spirit. This cutting might be painful, but it is liberating and enriching. This is why we seek God, that his wisdom might guide us and that his grace might make even the impossible possible through his name.