TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(Jeremiah 20:7-9; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27)
Today’s Gospel reading follows immediately after last
Sunday’s. We recall how Simon pronounced Jesus “the Messiah, the Son of the
living God,” and Jesus returned the compliment by calling him “Peter,” the rock
upon which he would build his church. Indeed, the two passages form a dialogue
that should be read as a single passage. Yes, Jesus is the Messiah, but not a
conquistador. And Peter may be a rock, but not polished and ready for use. In
fact, he will have to be reshaped to serve as the cornerstone of Jesus’ Church. The reshaping begins as soon as Jesus
reveals the tribulations the Messiah will undergo.
Jesus tells his disciples that precisely because he is the
Messiah, he must suffer greatly. He says that he will be condemned and
martyred. Peter objects to this prophecy, considering it a negative way of
thinking. He begins to argue with the
Lord. Although Peter wants to keep his criticism private, Jesus thinks
otherwise. He believes it is necessary to correct Peter openly and drastically
so that all his disciples realize how serious the matter is. First of all, he
calls Peter “Satan” for tempting him with references only to victory. Then he
says that instead of acting as a foundation stone, Peter seems more like a
stumbling block.
Jesus explains the kind of sacrifice his disciples will have
to make if they want to follow him. He says that to be his faithful disciples,
they must deny themselves, take up their individual crosses, and follow him. In
other words, they have to change their way of thinking and acting. Instead of
thinking of themselves as their primary concern, they have to be concerned
first and foremost about God. Instead of acting out of self-interest, they have
to serve the Lord. It is the ultimate transition that must be experienced to
become part of the Kingdom of God.
A fable can help us understand this gospel lesson. A hen and
a pig were walking around the farm one morning. They wanted to give the farmer
a special birthday breakfast. The hen turned to the pig and said, “Let’s give
him bacon and eggs! It’s his favorite food.” The pig stopped, looking worried,
and shook his head. He said to the hen, “Wait, please. For you, that breakfast
is just a small contribution. For me, it’s total sacrifice!”
What the hen suggests to the pig may sound harsh, and it
really is. But it’s also what Jesus is proposing for his disciples. It is, if
you will, “the cost of discipleship.” For the parents of a child with cerebral
palsy, “taking up their cross and following him” means caring for their
daughter all day, every day. For the single woman with no family
responsibilities, it might mean helping the Missionaries of Charity with their
ministries to abandoned women and children. For retired people, it could be
volunteering to tutor children with reading difficulties.
And what if we don't want to fully commit ourselves fully to
serving the Lord? What if we only want to pay a tithe and attend Sunday Mass?
Then we would be like the hen in the story: unworthy to be true disciples of
Jesus. Perhaps we wouldn't be completely lost, but we should begin to pray
assiduously that the Lord will turn us into genuine disciples. We will not have
a place in the Kingdom if our way of loving does not conform to Jesus' way. To
be his disciples means that we love others as he has loved us.
