I realized something while sitting in class today: why are we always down on the rich man spoken of in Mark chapter 10? I think we’ve got him all wrong, or at least we may not have much cause to condemn him like we often do. In class today everyone criticized this young man, and after reflecting on it some today, I’m not sure why anymore.

17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
Mark 10:17

Sounds like a good start. Please raise your hand if this particular thread of thought has been part of *your* prayers in the last month or two. I think running and kneeling are also two pretty good action words to describe one’s approach to the Savior.

17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
Matthew 19:17-20

I’ve switched over to Matthew because of the phrase “what lack I yet?” Again, I’m not seeing any wrongdoing here - it seems to me that this man is basically asking the Savior to take him to the next level: a great example for us all, really.

21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Matthew 19:21-22

Now here’s where I think we might want to give this young man the benefit of the doubt. The common assumption here is that the young man spurned Jesus’ offer, and went back to devlishly counting gold coins in his lavish vault somewhere. While he may very well have done that, I wonder about the chances of that.

First, this guy ran and knelt at the feet of the Savior and kept the dialogue going until he found something new to work on. I don’t think many of us do that on a regular basis, so props to the young man. Secondly, this man was faithful “from his youth.” Okay, this guy has enough moral courage to stand in front of God and declare that he has kept the commandments from his youth. I hope he really had, and Christ must have been okay with it because he didn’t cross examine. I find it unlikely that this man would throw all that away for his riches.

Again, maybe he did, but just think about it: maybe he didn’t.

Ever have to lose a friend because you didn’t want to follow them in a wrong decision? Ever sat the bench for a month because you missed a Sunday game? Ever taken the slower career path because of your refusal to work longer on Monday nights? Going away sorrowful seems to be a perfectly human response to the sacrifices we are sometimes asked to make.

I hope this young man made the right decision, and taking on that perspective makes the following sermon from the Savior all the more powerful.

I know this is a sensitive topic, but I can’t find any information about it, so I’m blogging here.

Miscarriage is something that I think needs a little more press anyway. No one talks about it, and I can’t seem to find much from the Church about how miscarriages play a part in the family. If someone has some information, I’d be very happy to know about it.

We’ve had our share of miscarriages in my family. Once or many times, the experience is extremely disheartening. Enjoying the prospect of having a baby is an immensely happy occasion, and having those hopes shattered in the silence of a heart monitor, or the ultrasound room, is an experience I will forever loathe. I still have a really hard time making it through those first few doctor’s appointments.

My main question is this: what happens to these little people who never quite make it? As a Church and as a people we value this early stage in life: we’re definitely against abortion. The thought of purposefully killing one of these innocent little children is beyond reason.

So what’s the difference between death on purpose and death on accident? Aren’t these lives real? Why don’t we cherish them more? Why don’t they have names? Why don’t we remember them?

I feel like we stand up for these lives when people are trying to kill them, and we gloss over them when we lose them on accident.

I’ve heard some people justify the situation to some degree by claiming that these little lives were interrupted because they were too deformed to live. First, that’s a horribly insensitive thing to say to someone who has just endured a loss - make sure to never make that mistake - and secondly, we cherish and care for the handicapped after birth… Why not before?

I have this nagging feeling: a wonder where these little lives start and end, but more especially, a wonder about how they might fit into my family in an eternal sense.

Guess I’ll keep looking.