First Reading - Ezekiel 28:1-10
Gospel - Matthew 19:23-30
There is nothing wrong with having possessions, being successful, or enjoying the good things that God has given us. The real danger begins when we start believing that these things can give us the security, importance, or happiness that only God can give. Today’s readings invite us to ask a deeper question: Where is our real trust?
In the first reading, Ezekiel speaks against the ruler of Tyre. His wealth and success had filled him with pride. He had become so impressed with his own wisdom and possessions that he began to think of himself as a god. His problem was not simply that he was rich; it was that his riches had changed his heart. What he possessed became the source of his identity and security.
The Gospel continues this theme. After the young man goes away because he cannot let go of his possessions, Jesus says to his disciples, “How hard it is for one who has wealth to enter the kingdom of heaven.” The disciples are astonished because, in their understanding, wealth could be seen as a sign of God's blessing. Jesus, however, exposes the danger: riches can easily create the illusion that we are self-sufficient.
The problem is not money itself. The problem is when money becomes our master. We can possess things without allowing them to possess us. But when our security, happiness, and identity depend entirely on what we own, we slowly stop depending on God.
Jesus then gives the disciples a striking image: “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples are shocked and ask, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus answers with words that are at the heart of today's Gospel: “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”
This is important because salvation is never something we can achieve by our own strength. We cannot buy it, earn it, or secure it through our possessions. It is God's gift. What matters is whether we have a heart open enough to receive that gift.
Peter then reminds Jesus that the disciples have left everything to follow him. Jesus assures them that no sacrifice made for the kingdom will be forgotten. He promises that those who have left houses, family, possessions, or security for his sake will receive far more and will inherit eternal life.
This does not mean that following Jesus is a business transaction: “I give up something, and God gives me something greater.” Rather, Jesus is teaching us that nothing surrendered for the sake of the Gospel is ultimately lost. When we place our lives in God's hands, he gives our sacrifices a meaning that the world cannot give.
There is therefore a contrast between the ruler in Ezekiel and the disciples in the Gospel. The ruler of Tyre says, in effect, “I have everything; I need nothing.” The disciples say, “We have left everything to follow you.” One places his confidence in himself and his possessions; the others place their confidence in Christ.
That is the choice we also face every day. We can build our lives around what we possess, or we can build them around the One who gives us everything. We can allow success to make us proud, or we can receive success with gratitude. We can use possessions to serve others, or we can allow possessions to control us.
Perhaps the Lord is asking us today: What gives me security? What would I find hardest to surrender? What occupies the first place in my heart?
The answer to these questions reveals where our trust really lies.
Let us not be afraid of having possessions, but let us be afraid of becoming possessed by them. Let us use what we have with gratitude, generosity, and responsibility, remembering that everything is ultimately God's gift.
And when we are tempted to think that our security comes from what we have achieved or accumulated, let us remember the words of Jesus: “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”
True wealth is not having everything we want. True wealth is having a heart that belongs completely to God.
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