Run to Win

The Spiritual Race Towards Eternal Life

Oct 15, 2024

The Journey and the Race

As we gather here today, we are reminded of the powerful words from the Gospel of Mark, where Jesus encounters a man who runs up to him, asking, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17). This passage immediately brings to mind another Scripture verse that has long served as a guiding principle for me, 1 Corinthians 9:24, which states, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it."

The true journey, the true race that we are all participating in, is the spiritual life, and the prize that has already been won for us is eternal life. As I mentioned in a previous podcast, from this point on in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus has turned his face towards Jerusalem, intentionally journeying there, knowing full well what awaits him.

The man in the Gospel passage enters the scene in a rather dramatic way, determined to ask Jesus this all-important question: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17). And because this man has many possessions, as Jesus will later reference in the Gospel, he quickly becomes shocked and grieved when Jesus says to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me" (Mark 10:21).

The Significance of "One Thing"

Here in Canada, we stopped producing and distributing the humble penny, the 1-cent piece, back in February 2013, almost 12 years ago. When I consider what this "one thing" might be that Jesus is asking each of us to give up, to sacrifice, to turn over, to let go of, I can't help but think of the lonely penny, an object that has become a relic of a bygone era.

In a country of such abundance, where we have, to paraphrase the first reading from the Book of Wisdom, "scepter, thrones, accounted wealth, priceless gems, gold, and silver" (Wisdom 7:7-9), giving up, turning over, sacrificing, or letting go of just one thing doesn't seem like such a big deal. Yet, the man in the Gospel is shocked, he is grieved, because he has "many possessions" (Mark 10:22).

But we must remember that one thing is often more than we might initially think. Running 9 kilometres in a 10 kilometer race is not a finish. If you miss one piece in a 5,000-piece puzzle, it is incomplete. Paying $54 on a $55 account leaves a $1 balance, and the bill has not been fully paid. Paying for one hour of parking when we end up staying there for two hours means we run the risk of getting a ticket. One thing is actually more than we might initially think.

What is the "One Thing" Jesus Asks of Us?

So, what comes to mind when we hear the Lord Jesus saying to us, as he said to the young man in today's Gospel, "You lack one thing" (Mark 10:21)? Is it just about possessions, money, cars, houses, or clothes? Or could it be about the attitudes, thoughts, feelings, ideas, defects of character, or behaviors that we hold on to?

What are we afraid the "one thing" might be? What would we find hard to surrender? What are we hoping the "one thing" is not? And are we, like the man in the Gospel, shocked and grieved at the mere thought of what it might be or what it might mean for us to let that "one thing" go?

Too often in the spiritual life, we believe that we grow when we obtain more gifts or charisms. And while that is true to some extent, we grow more specifically when we learn to let go. But, of course, we must do it with the proper intention, which brings us to a place of peace.

Letting Go and Gaining

In the extended version of today's Gospel passage, we see that often, we are keen to surrender, let go, or turn over to Jesus what we want to be rid of – the "one thing" that we don't want in the first place. But we are less keen, even perhaps unwilling, to let go of what Jesus instead demands of us, what He determines to be the "one thing." Hence, the shock and grief of the man in today's Gospel.

Do I focus on what I lose when I surrender, or do I focus on what I gain when I surrender? As Peter says in the Gospel, "See, we have left everything and followed you" (Mark 10:28). Of course, we are blessed when we choose to live our lives in conformity with the will of God, but it does not mean that we are somehow exempt from difficulties, setbacks, disappointments, frustrations, or persecutions that Jesus speaks about in today's Gospel.

Our initial enthusiasm for the spiritual life can be diminished when we do experience these trials. Whether I am on a journey or in a race, it will require sacrifice, commitment, and a choice if I want to cross the finish line.

Three Lessons from the Gospel Encounter

There are three particular lessons we can glean from this Gospel account, this encounter that Jesus has with the man who runs up to him as Jesus is on a journey:

Lesson 1: The man is not arrogant, looking to do it on his own. Instead, he is asking for help, but he just wasn't prepared for the answer. In some ways, he wants to win the race, maybe on his own terms, without the sacrifices that the race or even the journey requires.
Lesson 2: Heaven is not the result of what we do, but instead, what God has already done for us. Through his Son Jesus, whose face is now turned towards Jerusalem, God offers us the gift of eternal life with Himself. It's a free gift to accept, but it will involve sacrifice and letting go.
Lesson 3: What we do doesn't give us a claim on God, as if we can somehow now convince Him to love us or accept us. Instead, it means that God has a claim on us, that we belong to Him. As the Gospel says, "Jesus looked at him and loved him" (Mark 10:21), because the Lord has a claim on this man, and on all of us, as His beloved.

Run to Win the Imperishable Crown

I have entitled this reflection "Run to Win" (1 Corinthians 9:24), because the race or indeed the journey of life is always towards eternal life. As St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:25, "Athletes exercise self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable." And elsewhere, in 2 Timothy 4:7, he declares, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Jesus, in this encounter with the man, reminds me of the reading we have today from the Letter to the Hebrews, where it says, "The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

Will we let the word of God today pierce us? Will we let Jesus look at us, love us, and speak to us?

So, Jesus says to you and to me today, my dear friends, "It's just one thing. Let's do this together. Let's get to the finish line together. Let's run to win."

The Major Stumbling Block

As I invite you to consider this prayerfully, the question I pose is: What is the major stumbling block to responding to Jesus' request, "You lack one thing"? What is holding us back from surrendering that "one thing" that He is asking us to let go of?

Let us pray and invite the Lord to speak to our hearts, to reveal to us that "one thing" that we need to surrender, to turn over, to let go of, so that we can run this race, this journey of life, together with Him, and ultimately inherit the imperishable crown of eternal life.

May the Lord bless you, and may the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and our own patron saints and guardian angels help us to have the courage, the wisdom, and the understanding to say "yes" to the Lord's invitation. Stay caffeinated, and God love you!