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    This text in Mark is a hard lesson, because it is part of the irreducible whole of the Gospel. Simply put, those who seek after the things of the world cannot also seek after the things of God.
    This is not to say that we all should run out and sell everything we have to live in Christian communes, as attractive as such a thing might be to some, however the things we have should only be had insofar as they enable us to live the Christian life given to us by faith. Everything we have is a blessing from God for the furtherance of His kingdom.
    The blessing of this selfless denial of the world and what it has to offer is the fruits of Heaven for those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord. This asceticism is not a hollow demand for moralistic behavior, instead it is an encouragement for us to live with our hearts, minds, and even our checkbooks focused on the Kingdom. If we are constantly focused on that goal, how can we possibly fail to reach it?
DLH
