One characteristic of religious worship is the presentation of gifts to God, otherwise called offering. The Old Testament presents different forms of offering. One common trait is that in every offering, what is offered somewhat represents the one doing the offering. The point is that every form of offering is a form of self-giving. This is why serious regulations are presented to guide the offering.
Wholeness
One of the general rules is that every offering, whether of animal or material fruits (grain), must be whole and clean, without spot or wrinkle. But while efforts are made to ensure the wholeness of the offering, there is also an added emphasis on the moral wholeness of the one making the offering. The book of Sirach, in the first reading of today, states the importance of making offerings to God but stresses the need for moral rectitude on the part of the one who makes the offering. The author says in 35:6-7: “Do not appear before the Lord empty-handed, for all that you offer is in fulfillment of the commandment.” But he quickly adds in vv. 8-9: “The offering of the righteous enriches the altar, and its pleasing odor rises before the Most High. The sacrifice of the righteous is acceptable, and it will never be forgotten.” So, while the offering is important, the moral status of the one making the offering is paramount. In our religious settings we often forget this important proviso as we bring our offerings to God. The book of Sirach warns that offerings can never replace the moral requirement, as God does not accept bribes. What it means is that the offering must reflect the offerer.
Total Surrender
The Gospel text from Mark 10:28-31 presents a more radical picture. Jesus demands of his followers a total surrender of their possessions. It is no longer the question of giving God only a part but a total offering of the whole self. Such surrender is, however, accompanied with greater blessings as the faithful disciple will receive in reward a hundred times of all that was surrendered. The context of this promise is the encounter in Mark 10:17-22 between Jesus and the young man who wants to know the practical thing to do to win eternal life. Unfortunately, the young man rejects the loving invitation of Jesus to surrender all his possessions and become a disciple. Jesus challenges him not just to make donations to the poor, which he must have been doing from childhood, but to dispose of all his possessions and become a disciple. This is the new way of responding to God in the new dispensation. It is the sure way to perfection. At this point the dialogue turns sour. The man weighs the options and finds that the security of his wealth is too strong to abandon. The text describes him as a man with many possessions. Although he wants true life, he is afraid to pay the cost. He is afraid of losing the presumed security that material wealth offers. He is in bondage of materialism. In refusing to give his entire self he runs the risk of losing his entire self.
God Over Ego
We find the same bondage everywhere we turn in the contemporary society. People prefer to choose self, to choose the ego, rather than God. The consequence is that genuine discipleship remains in short supply. As egocentrism becomes the new way of life, harmonious human relationships become very difficult. Conflicts become inevitable. The way out is to reacquire the frame of mind that we belong to God and everything we possess belongs to Him. In this way, it becomes easier to surrender all, which also means gaining all and living in the freedom of God’s children.
