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What is the significance of Jesus' formula of 'Sell up and Serve' in Matthew 19 to Church- run organisations?

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We see in Mtt 19:21( NRSVCE), the definitive answer Jesus gave to the rich young man who had come to him seeking eternal life: >Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’. Note the instructions that Jesus gives: first, sell the material possession and then give the proceeds to the poor. In case the man was asked to lease out , free of rent, his property say agricultural land to poor farmers, he would be in a position to review his decision and reclaim the property on a later date. But, selling up means that he would have no further claim on the property. No wonder the young man left sad- faced ! Many Catholic churches across the world have significant measure of real estate holdings, much of which may have been received on donation at the time of the church-construction from the then rulers and benefactors. Administrative rules and regulations of the area have come to curtail their possession to a great extent. Of course, locally constructed churches incur expenses on upkeep and salaries of staff, which they meet out of the revenue from immovable property. So, you can never expect a church administration to sell out its property and distribute the proceedings to the poor. But then, was the 'Sell up and Serve formula' that Jesus prescribed, the outcome of a stand-alone incident ? My question is: what is the significance of Jesus' formula of 'Sell up and Serve' in Matthew 19 to Church- run organisations ?
Asked by Kadalikatt Joseph Sibichan (13704 rep)
Oct 16, 2024, 06:06 AM
Last activity: Oct 16, 2024, 01:45 PM