The Gospel reading of the day is set within the context of a rich young man who wanted to inherit eternal life. The inability of the young man to accept Jesus' challenge sets the scene for the teaching on wealth as an obstacle to discipleship. As disciples, we are called to have total dependence on God. We are warned that riches can lead to a sense of self-sufficiency. It encourages a false independence. Through our own acts of self-sufficiency, we alienate ourselves from God. Just as Gideon, in the first reading, placed his trust in the Lord, we too are called to be dependent on God. Often, if we are well supplied with this world's goods, we think we can deal with any situation. The danger of riches is that we tend to forget that we need to depend on God in all situations. It is not that possessing riches is a sin, but it can be an obstacle to perfect discipleship.