Readings: Sirach 17.20-24; Psalm 32; Mark 10.17-27
'Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him'. It is a beautiful moment, recorded in this way only by St Mark. Other translations have Jesus looking 'straight' at him, or 'closely' or 'carefully'. We might be tempted even to say Jesus 'admired' him considering that having looked at him, 'he loved him'.
It is the experience of grace, to be not just seen by looked at by the Lord. The great blessing of the Book of Numbers prays in this way for people: may the Lord turn his face towards you and be gracious to you. To find favour in the sight of God is another way of saying the same thing: may you be seen and looked at, may you be remembered and kept in mind, may you be regarded and admired and loved.
If we speak as honestly as we can with our Lord in prayer, and present ourselves as frankly and as simply as we can, then our prayer will be heard. It might simply be 'Lord be merciful to me a sinner'. But to come into the light of God's face just as we are is to be acknowledged and then admired by God. He will see the sincerity of our hearts. It is to be loved by God who rejoices to see his children flourishing.
The man went away sad, unable to reach the level of courage and sacrifice to which Jesus called him. This would not have affected Jesus's love for him, however. That is always unconditional (in fact the only truly unconditional love that there is) and so would have followed him even though he could not then follow Jesus.
Perhaps at another time, in other circumstances, he became able to love Jesus in return with the love he was receiving from him.
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