GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 10:20
Desire
Anyone concerned about their weight knows the sensation of desire—at least the feeling of that multifaceted emotion as it relates to food. One way to satisfy desire is to give in to it by gorging on anything that fits between the teeth, but that only placates it temporarily. At the other extreme, one can severely limit one’s food intake. St. Ignatius Loyola, for example, is said to have eaten only a few nuts a day, unwilling to take time from his studies for such a mundane task as eating—thus theoretically attempting to shrivel desire. Yet desire persists.
The rich young ruler described by Mark was driven to the teacher by desire—not for food, riches, or reputation; he had those—but for something none of these provided: eternal life. Jesus pointed him to the ethical code: “But he said to him, ‘Teacher, all these things have I kept from my youth.’” (Mark 10:20) Matthew adds a telling phrase to this story—the young man said, “What do I still lack?” (Matthew 19:20) Wealth and social position had not stilled his desire for eternal life. That same desire drove him to ignore all consequences and kneel before the Teacher, who spoke of and offered eternal life.
That essential desire still draws multitudes to the Teacher.
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