Introductory Story
Steve and Bernice met Joey in Austin, Texas at a St. Paul Street Evangelization table. Joey was a baptized but non-practicing Catholic who would attend Mass occasionally, but did not take the Faith seriously. He saw their table, identified the Catholic materials and connected it to his personal history.
After some brief discussion, Joey wanted to know what real reason there was for him to take the Faith more seriously. Steve responded by giving his personal testimony of converting from a life of sin to a life of Christian discipleship. Steve knew that God was offering him salvation from death and hell, the consequences of sin. Hearing this, Joey started crying. He knew that God was offering salvation to him, too. Joey decided to recommit to his baptismal promises and follow Christ once more.
Steve knew that as Joey was already Catholic, all that was needed to get him started was to go to Confession. Together, they quickly looked up confession times. Providentially, confession was taking place right then at a nearby parish! Steve drove Joey right over (why waste time?) and got Joey’s number before dropping him off. Later on, Joey reported back via text message that he was forever grateful to have made an “awesome” confession and that he is starting once again to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Nothing is more important than the salvation of souls. “What good is it to gain the whole world, and forfeit one’s soul?” In evangelizing, bringing the truth of Christ to others, we invite them into a more abundant life on earth through the Holy Spirit; but most importantly, we bring hope of eternal life through the same Spirit.
What Must I Do To Be Saved?
In Luke 18:18-22, a man came to Jesus with a question:
“Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your Father and mother.’” And he said, “All these I have observed from my youth.” And when Jesus heard it, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow me.”
At the heart of this man’s request is a sincere inquiry into the nature of eternal life.[1] Christ’s response “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone” harkens back to the Jewish understanding that perfect goodness is to be attributed to God alone.[2] From that, Christ goes on to remark about selling all in order to follow Him. Doing so would have taught the man how to give up material wealth in humility and learn dependence upon the Lord God.
The man walks away sadly because he did not possess the fortitude to do so. Now Christ doesn’t go on to say that this man lost his salvation, but it is clear that in the course of moving towards our salvation we have to learn to realize that God alone is the source and summit of all of our life. All of our efforts should be rooted in and flow out from love for God. Throughout this lesson, it is this message that I’d like for all of us to hold on to.
“… so that we might be justified by His grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:7 (RSV)
[1] In the Gospel of Matthew we are told that he is a young man (19:16-30). In the Gospel of Mark, it’s explicitly stated that Jesus looked at him and loved him (Mark 10:17-31). This tells us that the young man was looking at Jesus and asking in earnestness, “how am I to gain eternal life?”
[2] Mark 10:18. Hebraic scholar, Dr. Dru Johnson, articulates this matter (Yoram Hazony and Dru Johnson [edits.], The Question of God’s Perfection [Leiden, Netherlands: Brill, 2018], 99.