In the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Glory to Jesus Christ. Glory forever.

What shall I do to inherit eternal life? It’s a big question. And we are given this very straightforward answer, and in so many regards something that's very reassuring: that there’s no secret to it. Follow the commandments. These commandments were given for life. Follow them and you will have life. Do this and you will live. Amen. Hooray. There's nothing more that we really need to dig into. It's right there in front of us.

But then that further challenge, finding that one thing that you still lack. If you would be perfect, then sell all that you have, give you all you possess, and you will find treasure in heaven. I think all of us would say, if we were asked, that we want to get to heaven, we want eternal life. But if we examine our hearts, we will often find examples of ways in which we want a simpler, easier way than the one that Jesus has set out for us in the Gospel.

First, we know many of the commandments. They're right there as Jesus was listing many of them for us. But do we keep them all? Truly do we keep them all? How sincerely? We may not have killed, but have we held hatred, wrath, resentment in our hearts? Jesus tells us that that also is murder. And so how many times do we find ourselves making exceptions for what it is that we know that God asks? We say, "Yes, in the grand scheme of things, we should do what God asks. But you know, this particular circumstance… we need to make allowance.” And then even when we are obeying the commandments, do we do it with a whole heart, with fullness of life and purpose and dedication, with joy, with love, not out of fear or obligation, but out of love, honoring God for who he is and what he has done for us? That naturally we'd be delighted to do what he asked, because how could we respond differently to the one who loves us more than anything and who deserves the whole of our love? The prophet Jeremiah speaks a word, of the day that will come when God will replace the hearts of stone that we have with hearts of flesh, with the commandments written on our hearts, so that no one will say to his neighbor, “Know the Lord.” Because everyone will know the Lord from the inside out.

Is that the way that we follow the commandments of God? Not as commandments, as some of external rule, that you know the cops will pull me over if I break that law. But instead this way that we can't imagine living any other way. There’s no other life.

And secondly, this challenge that Jesus gives—this invitation, it's not a command—it’s an invitation to give all that you possess. “Give to the poor and come follow me,” he invites this man. And this is how you would become perfect. More truly, you would allow yourself to be perfected by the perfect God. The one who knows you best and knows exactly what it is that you need. And we should understand that this matter of giving all is not merely about our material possessions. Though we are answerable to God for everything that we have in our life. But that “everything” goes far beyond just what happens to be in your bank account, in your wallet, and so on. But in fact goes to all the aspects of your life. Everything that you have, everything that you are, what makes you you, what you dedicate yourself to, what matters to you, what is it that you hoard in your heart, in your mind that you are not willing to dedicate to God, not willing to release trusting into his hands. Imagining that I cannot be myself without this precious possession that I cling to with all my strength. Even if holding on to it means that we lose God, we lose eternal life.

In the last book of the Bible, the Apocalypse, often called the Revelation of St. John, God speaks to one of the churches saying, “I know your works, your labor, your patience for my sake, but one thing I have against you, that you have forsaken your first love.” Brothers and sisters, our first love—perhaps we’ve even forgotten that it is our first love—that love is God. The one who loved you first. Before even your mother or your father, before anyone knew that you existed, God called you into being. And he has known you from your mother’s womb to the depths of your heart, to the inmost places. Those things that you share with no one, God sees clearly. He knows you better than you know your own heart. And knowing your secret faults, he loves you still and wishes you to have life. To be whole, to be complete. That’s what Jesus means by “perfect” here. To be the real, full, whole person that you are meant to be.

Brothers and sisters, this one who loves us is infinitely worthy to be our first love in turn. The one that we devote ourselves to first above any other love in our life. That if we put anyone, anything above God, that is not making them better by it. We’re loving them worse because we are distorting and misunderstanding and misappropriating what love is. That if we put God first in our hearts, then everything else is in its proper place—or at least can be, has the possibility of fitting into its proper place. And we will find that our hearts grow, our capacity grows, that the rest of our life is not diminished by giving all to God. And this is brothers and sisters how it is that we gain the kingdom of God. How we inherit eternal life. How we become our true selves. How we discover who we are meant to be.

 In the gospel today, it’s important to recognize that Jesus does not condemn this man who comes to him and is asking these questions, or rebuke him as he goes away sorrowful, not willing to give up those possessions that he prizes for the sake of the kingdom, for sake of love for God. He allows him to go his way, sad and confused, but with a seed planted in his heart, granting him the possibility of coming to himself, of turning back to the Lord and following after. And perhaps the same may be true of you. Perhaps today— having heard what is difficult and very demanding in the good news of our salvation, of the love that God has for us—perhaps you will go away sorrowing in your heart, confused, uncertain. “How do I do this? I’m not perfect. I’m not even close to perfect. I’m no saint. How is it that I’m to live this holy way of life to love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength, and with all my mind? How is it that I can possibly love my enemies as Jesus loves me with that kind of measure? I know sins. It’s not possible for me.” But we do not go out from here alone. We also go with a seed planted in our hearts, a great one. Powerful blessing and presence of God in our lives. Changing our hearts, growing our hearts, our minds, our very strength, our very life. Because the truth is that what is asked of us, what we are invited to enter into, is beyond us. It is not possible for us. But with God all things are possible.

Amen. Glory to Jesus Christ. Glory forever.