Scripture Scribbles: October 13, 2024

the Gospel

Mark 10:17-30

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,
knelt down before him, and asked him,
"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? 
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother." 
He replied and said to him,
"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
"You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." 
At that statement his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
"How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the kingdom of God!" 
The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." 
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,
"Then who can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said,
"For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. 
All things are possible for God." 
Peter began to say to him,
"We have given up everything and followed you." 
Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."

the scribble

There is a little place in my heart where a deep sorrow dwells. I am very poor in this little place. I have no power or influence there. I can do nothing to change the way it is. In it, I can only wait, hold open my hands and hope. It is truly a place of poverty. Daily (and often more frequently, when the sorrow hurts enough to take my attention) I open this place to the Lord. I ask him to change the circumstances.

He hasn’t yet.

But in this place, he has been speaking to me so clearly. It is here, where I can’t rely upon myself, any of my gifts, skills or efforts, that I have experienced him most deeply. Even the frequency of the waves of sadness is a gift because when it overcomes me, I call out to him. It re-roots me in the reality that apart from him, I can do nothing (including bearing this circumstance with hope and grace) and that in him and in him alone, this sorrow (and my whole life!) can bear great fruit.

I am beginning to understand how true poverty is the way to the Kingdom of God. Poverty allows the Lord to show us his providence, his presence and his goodness. We know him so well when we are poor.

What are the places in your heart where you are poor? Will you pray with me there?

Lord, you know this hidden sorrow. You know this longing. I can do nothing here but wait for you. Thank you for being here with me. Thank you for wrapping your arms around me and for holding me tenderly with your pierced hands. You have known this too. Thank you for weeping with me. Thank you for every grace you give me to hope and wait. I trust you. I surrender myself to you here. I cannot wait to see the glory and goodness that you will bring from this place of poverty. Amen.

Today’s devotion was written by Lucia Parker DeMarco