Today in the Gospel we hear about the rich young man who encounters Jesus. He wants to know what he needs to do to inherit everlasting life. There is no doubt that the rich man is sincere, but he didn’t realize how much he was controlled by his wealth. Jesus offers him the key. He must sell his possessions and then come and follow. The rich man wasn’t expecting that kind of advice.  Jesus says the rich man’s possessions are an obstacle. The man was distressed. He couldn’t bring himself to give up his possessions. He needed to trust in the Lord alone. Putting the Lord first is the key to spiritual health. With the Lord first in our lives we will notice that all other things will have their proper place.