Have you ever had a moment when you’ve read some of Jesus’ more challenging words or teachings, and all you want to do is scream: “Jesus! Are you crazy? How do you expect me to do that?”

Such is a normal reaction when a person hears Jesus say to the rich man: “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

“Are you kidding, Jesus?”

You aren’t alone in your reaction, for the disciples thought the same way commented: “Who then can be saved?”

As we’ve come to expect, Jesus’ challenging words uncover a deeper reality of God’s kingdom. Jumping off from the rich man’s meticulous observation of the 10 Commandments, Jesus points deeper to the vision of God’s Kingdom where people don’t just obey the rules to not steal, murder, lie or commit adultery, but go much further, doing everything they can to care for the poor, nurture the welfare of others, guard the reputations of everyone, and simply love with abandon!

It’s a kind of crazy living, as Jesus beckons us to move beyond the ethical “Thou Shalt Nots” in the commandments to follow him in living with sacrificial love for all – even those who are different from us.

What a great word for us to take another step in our Lenten Journey! And guess what? Jesus isn’t kidding!