28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B - 11/10/2015 - Gospel: Mk 10:17-27
Double reward
Motivation is something that stimulates a person to act to achieve a goal. It is a power that energizes, activates and directs a person's behaviour and therefore affects one's individual behaviour. Emotion is related to motivation by means that we tend to perform things that would lead to a reward. Emotion is viewed as a reward or failure for a motivation. The rich young man in the Gospel is motivated by the eternal life reward but his emotion is keeping on the surface and on the letters rather than on the Spirit of the Gospel. He keeps all the laws and is proud of it. He knows that he is blessed with the reward of this world but not sure of the next. Jesus told him to be sure of the reward of the next life he needs to commit to the Spirit of the Laws and that is
God and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, then come, follow me. But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.mk 10,21
Hearing this upset him because he is not ready to let go of what he owns. Successful business people would share his view and be sympathetic to the rich young man. He is doing so well. He is rich and popular but not happy. Why change something when you are successful. Why not be your own boss and have power and do what you want rather than to submit to someone else and obey. At least they are sure of the materials reward of this world.
The Gospel encourages us to work together, to give support to each other and all are under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The corporate world doesn't like this way, they would prefer to be on their own, be their own boss, independence and interdependence because they work most effectively and more motivated when they work alone rather than to work together. Caring about others people's business isn't the perception of the competitive business world. People would prefer to have their own view and take charge rather than to adapt others' views and obey.
Motivation to act is deeply tied to cultural context. The rich young man is deeply rooted to his own cultures, strictly observing the laws and he doesn't want to change, to adapt to the cultures of the Gospel which requires the commitment by moving out of one's comfort zone. In order to act effectively to the Gospel's values he would need to embrace the cultures of the Gospel and feel at home with it and it will motivate him to act according to the Gospel message of love and love others as to love oneself.
To inspire people to think and act for the Gospel Jesus told us that it is the people that we need to embrace, not the materials. People whose minds and hearts are attached to the materials of this world are not ready to serve others.
God and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, then come, follow me. But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.mk 10,21
Hearing this upset him because he is not ready to let go of what he owns. Successful business people would share his view and be sympathetic to the rich young man. He is doing so well. He is rich and popular but not happy. Why change something when you are successful. Why not be your own boss and have power and do what you want rather than to submit to someone else and obey. At least they are sure of the materials reward of this world.
The Gospel encourages us to work together, to give support to each other and all are under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The corporate world doesn't like this way, they would prefer to be on their own, be their own boss, independence and interdependence because they work most effectively and more motivated when they work alone rather than to work together. Caring about others people's business isn't the perception of the competitive business world. People would prefer to have their own view and take charge rather than to adapt others' views and obey.
Motivation to act is deeply tied to cultural context. The rich young man is deeply rooted to his own cultures, strictly observing the laws and he doesn't want to change, to adapt to the cultures of the Gospel which requires the commitment by moving out of one's comfort zone. In order to act effectively to the Gospel's values he would need to embrace the cultures of the Gospel and feel at home with it and it will motivate him to act according to the Gospel message of love and love others as to love oneself.
To inspire people to think and act for the Gospel Jesus told us that it is the people that we need to embrace, not the materials. People whose minds and hearts are attached to the materials of this world are not ready to serve others.
Written by Fr Vũđình Tường
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia