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We are encouraged to stand firm Lk 21:19 and be careful (Lk 21:34). These are valuable lessons for life, not just for coping with the end times but also applicable in the present moment. I wonder if Jesus was talking about the end of the world or teaching us something about our spiritual lives.

I wonder if Jesus is telling us to be resilient and be determined. We are called to be intentional in our actions. To be intentional requires us to chose to be so. Much of our lives are on automatic pilot. We have our routines and habits. Much of our behavior is a response to and/or a result of other’s behavior. Many worry that if they do not respond in kind they will be seen as weak.

Our faith is lived out in how we relate to people and to God. Last week we read that the Greatest Commandment was to love God and the second to love our neighbor, both laws are relational.

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Jesus is asked by Pontius Pilate if he is the king of the Jews. Pilate is not talking about a heavenly kingdom but an earthly kingdom. Pilate was not making an act of faith. He wanted to know if Jesus was a political threat or not. Jesus responds knowing that Pilate would not likely understand but encourages Pilate and the listeners to learn about God’s kingdom. Pilate’s perspective is very simple and does not see the point Jesus is trying to make. Its worth noting that Jesus is not intimidated by Pilate. Likely he knows how this will unfold. He is confident and remains focused.

The term kingdom in a modern context might not have the same meaning that it did 2,000 years ago. We are less likely to see kings as leaders or holding a position of significant power.

I invite listeners to pause and reflect on who is God to you. Another way is to reflect on what role does God have in your life?

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This Gospel was written over 2,000 years ago and the world is still here so I am less convinced the readings were written to prepare us for the end times. However, many of the early Christians understood these readings as a sign pointing to the end of the world. One of the reasons why the Gospels were written so late, was because many people believed Jesus literally, and that the end of the world would take place in their lifetime.

I suspect these readings could be interpreted differently. I propose that Jesus is talking more about the trials and tribulations in our lives. Our faith in Jesus does not exempt us from struggles. Rather than seeing these as the end, Jesus invites us to see this is a time when God will show his saving power.

Could those struggles be actually helpful to our spiritual growth? Struggles encourage us to develop resilience and problem-solving skills. Struggles can lead to maturity and a perspective on life that leads to spiritual and psychological growth.

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The lesson in today’s Gospel is clear, do not get seduced by appearances! There is also a sub-theme of humility. Jesus is critical of the Scribes for their hypocritical behaviour. As Luke 12:48, states, "To whom much is given, much will be required." Jesus emphasized the idea of responsibility that comes with blessings and resources. The verse suggests that those who have been entrusted with more—whether it be talents, wealth, or knowledge—are held to a higher standard of accountability.
Jesus continues his teaching on looking beyond appearances when he is watching wealthy people putting in large sums of money into the temple treasury. On the level of appearances, the large donations would suggest that the rich deserve more while in reality it is the poor widow who gave all she had.

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In today’s Gospel Jesus is asked by a scribe, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answers his question directly. Jesus talked about loving God exclusively, with all your heart, mind and all your strength. Jesus did not leave anything out. Jesus does not stop there but teaches that we are to love our neighbor as our selves. Jesus would later go on to define his understanding of who is a neighbor in the parable of the Good Samaritan. It is not impossible to love people we admire or who love us or are similar to us. It is hard if not impossible to love those who have hurt us or have broken our trust. We must make a conscious choice to live by our own values rather than reacting to the behavior of others.

The Gospel really makes it clear that Jesus sees that loving God and loving others are intertwined. We cannot say that we love God and at the same time hate part of his creation. I would like to suggest six things that might help you become more loving.

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Bartimaeus was blind and so had to resort to begging to feed himself. As a beggar he had to compete with other beggars in order to survive. His life was undoubtedly harsh. We do not know if he had any support from his family.

Probably, he learned to be pushy to get what he needed. We can see his assertiveness in the Gospel reading. He is not going to be stopped by a bunch of people who didn’t like him, yelling and creating a scene.

Today’s healing addresses physical blindness. Metaphorically today’s healing also speaks to us about spiritual blindness. We can see it in the Pharisees. They were spiritually blind; unable to recognize the Messiah even as He stood before them in their midst. Often truth is too anxiety evoking so the person unconsciously chooses not to deal with it. Have you ever had the experience of getting an insight into a situation and realizing the answer was in front of you all the time?

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Jesus points out that following him is not going to be easy and there are no special concessions. Jesus is teaching his disciples and ultimately his followers about what following him is all about. This was an issue for the early Christians who were experiencing the persecutions who wondered why God allowed these terrible things to happen to His people. The Scriptural passage from Mark 4:35-41, Matthew 8:23-27, and Luke 8:22-25 which describes the disciple in a boat during the storm. The disciples in desperation, wake Jesus up and say to him “Do you not care”. According to scholars the early persecuted Christians struggled to understand why God appeared to have abandoned them during their time of need.

God does not always calm the storms in our lives. I wish I knew why. I do know that our faith can be a source of resilience and personal growth in the face of tragedy. There has been significant research on spirituality and religious belief that I would like to discuss with you.

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Today’s Gospel from Mark describe a man asking what must I do to inherit eternal life? I want to draw your attention to the question. I am struck by the fact that the man is focused solely on his own needs. While there is nothing wrong with that the question it does say much about his level of faith development. It is very self-focused. Jesus asks the expected questions, around how he has lived his faith in the past. Jesus realizes that his possessions have impacted the man’s ability to spiritually grow.

It is clear that Jesus encourages his followers to prioritize spiritual wealth over material possessions. The issue of impact of how compatible is spirituality and being wealthy has been around since the beginning of Christianity. As a priest I have often heard the expression that Christians need to solidarity with the poor. I never felt comfortable with that for several reasons.

When I was attending a conference, the presenter suggested that rather than attempting solidarity we should be using our wealth to help lift the poor out of poverty. This makes so much more sense to me.