The Gospel for this Sunday is the story of the rich young man. The line that always stands out to me is the final sentence: “And he went away sad, for he had many possessions.” I think that this is the heart of the story, because it is so radically countercultural.
    
We are not supposed to be sad because of our many possessions, but happy because we have many possessions. But the story reveals much to us about ourselves. All too often, like the rich young man, we are possessed by our possessions. They capture our souls and hold them hostage, preventing us from following Jesus more faithfully. Repeatedly, Jesus warns us of the dangers that wealth and possessions present to our souls. “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter into the Kingdom of God.”
    
We must examine our own relationship with wealth and possessions. Do we possess them, or do they possess us?