24th Sunday - "You are the Christ"

 

"You are thinking not as God but as human beings do"

Mark 8: 27-35

The Word: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091524.cfm

Look upon us, Lord

Creator and ruler of all things,

and, that we may feel the working of your mercy,

grant that we may serve you with all our heart.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, 

who lives and reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever.

(Collect of Mass)

 

There is no doubt that our American culture places a great emphasis on the importance of work. Despite our social concerns about legal and illegal workers, work is a value that should be treasured.

The evaluation of the economy is often made based upon how many jobs are available and what the unemployment rate is for that month.  We hear it all the time. While the work environment seems to be changing according to the needs of the employees, such as work from home arrangement, overall, we are still known as a productive society.

One of the first questions we may ask of someone we have just met is, “So, what do you do for a living?” Where do you work? Yet we are much more than our “work” or occupations.

Our second reading this Sunday from the very practical letter of James reminds us that: “faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (Jas 2: 18).   Is James referring to manual labor or one’s occupation?  The work that James refers to is not something that we are hired to perform.  We should not be motivated solely by our paycheck or the promise of advancement in a job. James speaks of Christian discipleship as the “works” of faith by which our belief is seen in identifiable actions. Such a lifestyle should not be seen as a magic formula for salvation but how we Christians live our lives; how we are seen as a light on a hilltop in a dark world.  Faith in action.

To offer a suffering person “the necessities of the body” is not just a nice thought; it is a sign of our faith.  Just to say, “I believe in Jesus” is not enough if we go on living a life of luxury and greed.  Christian discipleship demands a certain understanding of detachment from material possessions.  For example, if we find ourselves tight fisted, if we offer another a closed fist rather than an open hand, we find that the only real value in life is me!

In the Gospel, Jesus strongly reminds Peter that he must reconsider what his concept of the Messiah will be. Jesus told Peter: “The Son of Man must suffer greatly . . .” (Mk 8). Yet, Simon Peter identified the truth about Jesus’ identity, “You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)!”

Yet, his thought was measured by the expectations of this world, by an earthly understanding of power, prestige and wealth. Thus, the thought of a suffering Messiah had no place in such things.

I find it very compelling that Peter rebuked Jesus for his implication that he will “suffer greatly.” To rebuke is to speak harshly, almost an admonishment. It was as if he was saying to Jesus: “Look, you’ve got to get over this suffering and rejection line. You’ll never be successful with that story so you need to speak more of power and domination as the one who will save our people.  That’s what we hope the Messiah will be for us.” He was unable to comprehend the full point of Jesus’ ministry.

Peter in effect was creating a roadblock to Jesus mission. He inadvertently tried to stop Jesus, do the work of Satan as he had tried in the desert temptations. He was measuring Jesus in earthly terms rather than in God’s understanding. 

The result of that thinking is clear as Jesus turns the tables quite shockingly in response to Peter’s correction.  In turn he rebukes Peter even more pointedly by referring to him as “Satan.”  A futile attempt at least and Peter was taking the same approach, although unaware. He had stepped out of line and Jesus is gently but forcefully putting Peter back in his proper position as a disciple rather than a boulder to block his way.

So, Peter’s rebuke, his bold correction or stumbling block as it were, was another temptation of the same, through Peter this time.  Poor Peter may have stood there a bit red-faced for his rebuke and buying in to popular opinion so strongly. Jesus was not rejecting Peter himself, but he was rejecting his perspective.

But Jesus invited Peter and his other disciples and us of course, to think about heavenly things.  To see his mission, and our own, our good works in his name, as God intends. And because Jesus is the Christ and we are his followers, faith in Jesus makes certain demands on us. As a Christian there must be some detachment from the things of this world through sacrifice, through the cross we carry along with the Lord.  That “whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”  (Mk 8:34).

And there’s the rub.  We can imagine Peter’s perplexed face as Jesus spoke those words, apparently quite forcefully.  In no uncertain terms, he wanted to strongly clarify his mission and purpose in coming to humanity: to die and to rise. To be the model of the suffering servant.

The values we hold and assume as good – power, prestige, fame, fortune – are not always compatible with the Christian message and mission. Where is the cross in life for those who pursue power for its own sake, or to lord it over others? For what the cross implies is self-sacrifice, obedience, humility, forgiveness, mercy, generosity and to think of the other before self. We must be people of open hands with God and not clenched fists.

So, the works we do are an essential part of our faith. Doing good for humanity, while a great value, for a Christian is only half complete.  The motivating force for doing works of mercy and compassion; of self-sacrifice must be our faith in Jesus Christ. 

St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta is likely the most obvious icon in our time of Christian discipleship. She not only brought love, dignity, comfort to the dying and improved the value of the human person in such a state, her whole motivation was the Christ in each human soul.  In serving the poorest of the poor, she was serving Christ himself. 

If wealth can be used to make things happen, to feed, clothe, educate, and heal out of imitation of Jesus’ own healing ministry, then the face of Christ is shown to the world.

In this celebration of the holy Eucharist, we know that God is not passive and uninvolved in our lives.  The stories and lessons of the Scriptures constantly reveal a God deeply involved in his creation and one who is constantly in pursuit of a relationship with us. In the Eucharist we see the face of Christ in the human face of another.

As we break bread, we share in his very presence and life so that we may be intimately connected with him and energized by the Spirit to carry on his work.