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LOOKED UPON WITH GREAT LOVE (MARK 10:17-22)

The rich and the kingdom of God. 

REFLECTION 

Looked upon with great love is the theme for our reflection. Jesus looked upon with great love the rich man who thought he had fulfilled all righteousness but lacked faithfulness to God. Jesus loved the rich man because although he believed he was self-righteous there was a great void within him. The love Jesus had for the rich man was that of compassion for the lost  “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)

My dear friend, three levels of consciousness make a human being balanced and fulfilled. The rich man in today’s scripture reading had two levels of consciousness but lacked the first and most important level of consciousness. The three levels of consciousness are Spiritual, moral and material consciousness. 

Material consciousness is when a person is able to come to the realisation that he or she needs to work hard to possess wealth. We are told in Mark 10:22 that the man  “… had great wealth.” In other words, this man knew the importance of wealth and therefore worked hard to become wealthy. Any hard-working person is material conscious and that is good, for Proverbs 6:9-11 admonishes us that “How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest —  and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.” A lazy person will remain poor because he lacks material consciousness and the passion to work to create wealth. The rich man was successful because he was materially conscious and possessed wealth.

The next level of consciousness we shall discuss is moral consciousness. Moral consciousness is being aware of what is good and bad and doing that which is expected by societal and religious norms. The rich man was morally conscious because when Jesus said “You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honour your father and mother.“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”( Mark 10:19-20). Indeed there are so many crimes being committed in our societies because many people including some Christians lack Biblical moral consciousness. The rich man possessed moral consciousness and practised what is morally acceptable by the law. 

The last and most important level of consciousness is spiritual consciousness. Spiritual consciousness is coming to the realisation that human beings are finite therefore must have faith in God and rely on Him as the creator and source of life. The rich man lacked this level of consciousness and was not prepared to be awakened to a spiritual encounter with God through Christ. This is where most people fail. Moral consciousness is not the same as Spiritual consciousness. Moral consciousness leads to self-righteousness but Spiritual consciousness leads to glorifying God and walking in His Holiness. When Jesus realised that the rich man’s understanding of the most important level of consciousness (spiritual consciousness) was greatly misconceived, “He looked at him and loved him (compassion).” Jesus went ahead to test the rich man’s spiritual consciousness when He said to him “One thing you lack,” “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”At this, the man’s face fell. He went away sad because he had great wealth.” (Mark 10:21-22). In other words, the rich man’s material consciousness overshadowed his spiritual consciousness. My dear friend, Jesus wants our spiritual consciousness to overshadow all other levels of consciousness therefore in Mattew 6:33 He admonishes us that “… seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” When Paul came to a spiritual awakening or consciousness he confessed that “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:8-11). 

Jesus looks upon those who lack spiritual consciousness with great love for He came into the world to awaken and revive us spiritually to become His disciples and beneficiaries of the unconditional love of God, so that we may follow Him to the Father in Heaven and have eternal life. Shalom. 

PRAYER

ALMIGHTY GOD, REVIVE IN US A SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS SO THAT WE MAY CONTINUALLY FOLLOW JESUS “FOR IN HIM  WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING” AMEN (  ACT 17:28)    

Jean-Paul Agidi (Rev)