"Get behind me . . . who ever loses his life for my sake will find it."
Our
readings this Sunday are not easy or pleasant ones. In them, we are confronted with an
uncomfortable truth of our Christian faith – our discipleship. The prophet Jeremiah (20: 7-9) complains bitterly
against God – he feels duped, deceived, by God to be a prophet. He has found out that being so is open to bitter
opposition still he cannot help himself to carry on and fulfill his prophetic
mission. Jesus shares the same experience about his eventual fate – his
suffering and death as the cost of his mission, and then says we must walk a
similar way. It begins with a startling
turn of events after he names Simon the “Rock,” and the Papacy is grounded. Maybe
an illustration will help understand.
If
you’ve ever gone river rafting, for example, falling out of the raft is always
a present concern as you traverse over the rapids around large rocks. It can be
both exciting and frightening! Recently, I learned this very quickly when I and
a group of our youth were thrown out of the raft. Fun? Well, thank God for life
vests and helmets. The point is that a rock or grouping of rocks or stones can
be both a help for support and a hazard or stumbling block at the same time. If
it weren’t for the rocks in the river and a dip in the landscape, no rapids, no
fun, but watch out!
Our
Gospel this Sunday (Mt 16: 21-27) is a continuation of the one last week when Jesus renamed
Simon and called him the “Rock.” On the confession of Peter’s bold statement
about the truth of Jesus’ identity, Jesus entrusted the foundation of his
Church upon both Peter’s faith and his person.
Thus, the beginning of the Papacy as a rock of unity for Christ’s
Church. That all sounded so complimentary and confident.
Suddenly,
the mood changes and Simon the firm foundation, is now confronted by Jesus who
states that Peter has become not a foundation but a stumbling block to Jesus’
destiny – his suffering and death. On
the one hand Peter was a firm foundation but now he’s a rock in the rushing
rapids – a stumbling block to be avoided lest Jesus falls. One can only imagine the expression on Peter’s
face when Jesus calls him out and titles him “Satan – the roadblock!” Boy, that momentary glory with Simon the Rock
was short lived What happened?
We
even hear that we must carry our cross as a condition of true Christian
discipleship. Yet, it is all is the full
understanding of not only Jesus’ mission to achieve our salvation but also by
association and our baptism, it is our mission as well.
So,
suddenly Jesus names Peter – Satan which is far more a response to Peter’s
misunderstanding of Jesus’ destiny and purpose.
He didn’t take back the title of “Rock.” Much earlier in the desert, Satan,
the evil one, had tried three times to tempt Jesus away from his mission, to
take the easy and safe way out, to deny his very purpose for coming and his
Father’s will; to be safe rather than sorry and seek glory. Peter, with all the best intention to protect Jesus
away from his opponents wishes the same for him. His attitude, his viewpoint is
more grounded in this life rather than in his divine purpose.
So,
in a sense Jesus forcefully makes the point that his seeming demise will truly
be his triumph. His death will not end
in defeat but rather God will now triumph over ultimate evil and rise to new
life in Christ. Not even death will hold
us but the promise of immortality is a guarantee for those who are faithful to
Christ’s mission – our mission as well. This is not a Messiah of earthly glory
and power but the Messiah of mercy, forgiveness, love and a power that has no
restrictions. So Peter, get out of the
way with that assumption, that stumbling block, and accompany me on my way – a
sacrificial love that wins in the end. “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find
it.”
The
prophet Jeremiah and his human suffering is a foreshadow of Jesus himself and
of every believer who gives himself to Christ as a missionary disciple. This kind of love is not cheap or shallow.
So,
for example, despite what we may hear preached by certain televangelists
about prosperity and riches and
happiness as a reward for faithfulness to Jesus this Sunday’s Gospel puts quite
a wet rag on those beliefs. Our society
today is more in line with that false understanding of the Christian faith. We should value wealth, beautiful things, an
easy and comfortable life in which we do all we can to avoid all the bad things
and inconvenience of any kind. That belief is so pervasive that it consciously
and unconsciously forms our expectations about how life should be.
While
there is nothing essentially wrong with wanting nice things and wanting to look
good to stay healthy, if that is the guiding principle of our Christian lives
then there is clearly something wrong. If we measure worth and value filtered
through that expectation it becomes clearly incompatible with the full
understanding of Jesus’ Way. We are more
like Peter who couldn’t imagine that Jesus would need to undergo the kind of humiliation
and suffering he foretold. And if we
think that our Christian life is all about prosperity and comfort then we deny
the very sign of the cross on which Jesus died for us. Our daily lived experience
tells us pretty starkly at times that life just isn’t that way. The human condition reveals the truth that
life has both resurrections and crosses to carry. So, a purposeful sacrifice on our part calls
us to assess where we stand. It may take the form of a radical choice in my
lifestyle.
Here’s
one simple and maybe revealing test. If
your son, say of high school or college age, came to you and said they were
thinking about maybe becoming a priest or your daughter considered joining a
religious order as a consecrated woman, what would you say to them? Think for a moment. How would you initially feel about their
desire?
By
today’s standards the personal sacrifice that a priest and woman religious are
asked to make is radical: no marriage
and family, no particular career advancement with all kinds of kudos and
financial incentives to achieve more, no real opportunity to live in a nice
neighborhood and a 3,000 square foot home with a country club membership. No children of one’s own to carry on the
family name. In fact, depending on the charism of the Order or the assignment of
the priest he/she may find themselves in some very unattractive places. In
fact, God may be calling them to make that choice. In response, done as a sign
of Jesus’ call to radical discipleship, the rewards for such a choice are many.
I can tell you from experience. How
would you as a parent react to their desire?
Sadly,
I’ve heard over the years a number of negative comments from parents. How much do we really understand about what
it truly means to follow the Lord not only here but every time we are faced
with some form of suffering and sacrifice and how willing are we to hear the
second part of what Jesus says to Peter and to all of us about what it means to
stand on the rock of faith? Maybe God is
asking us to suffer not only for ourselves as much as for the sake of another.
To
follow the Lord is a deep joy but a joy rooted in knowing that those moments
are not meaningless: “Whoever wishes to
come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me . . . for
whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” All being measured, that is the kind of
wealth we should pursue. The words of Paul from the Romans (12: 1-2) today sums it up perfectly: "Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind."
God of might, giver of every good gift,
put into our hearts the love of your name,
so that, by deepening our sense of reverence,
you may nurture in us what is good
and, by your watchful care,
keep safe what you have nurtured.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
(Collect of Sunday)
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