love your neighbor. love your God

Monday, 20th Week in Ordinary Time, Year B

We can see the consistency of Jesus when dealing with people, when responding to their questions.
One time, when one of the Pharisees tested Jesus with a question, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" (Matthew 22:36). 
Jesus replied, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment. 
And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
In the Gospel, (Matthew 19, 16-22) a young man approached Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”
And the reply of Jesus was - love your neighbor.
And what is love of neighbor? Sharing one’s wealth, protecting and honoring the dignity of life, of relationships and the good name of others.
We are to be our best, to do our best with our life here on earth, and we do this by living our lives not for ourselves but for others.
And the young man was commendable not just in his humble acknowledgement on how he conducted his life but also because of his truly loving and generous heart.
Still, largely unsatisfied, he asked, what do I still lack?
And Jesus, not explicitly stating the commandment to love God, but rhetorically stating and concretely laying down the demands of loving God, said,
Sell what you have and give it to the poor. Then, come follow me.
We are to strive to make a good life here on earth by going about doing good.
But there is a better life, the best life, the after life.
It is a very radical way of asking, are you sincere in your desire to enter heaven?
Are you serious in your desire to love God?
Prove it.
Leave everything behind and follow me.
Whom do you worship? God or money?
Prove it.
Give up everything you have. For God.
Sooner or later, like the young man, we hope to ask Jesus the same question - what must I do to enter heaven?
If we will not ask Him, He will be the one to ask us- do you want to enter heaven?
If you answer with a resounding yes, then when Jesus invites you - go and sell what you have and give to the poor,
What will be your resounding answer?