Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Isaiah 50:5-9; James 2:14-18; Mark 8:27-35)
The denial of Simon Peter is found in each of the four gospel
Passion narratives. Almost all Christians know how Peter denied knowing Jesus
three times. But if we count the denial in today's Gospel, there were at least
four denials. Nevertheless, despite having such a tarnished history, he was
chosen by Jesus as the leader of His Church.
One reason for his selection is Peter's intuition. He
recognizes Jesus as the Christ or Messiah, the Anointed One of God, sent to
bring justice to the world. However, his concept of the Messiah is distorted.
He believes that Jesus is a warrior like King David, also anointed by God. In
his view, Jesus will raise an army to drive the Romans out of Israel. He cannot
imagine that Jesus' purpose is more subtle universal and profound than a
military achievement.
Jesus will redeem the world from sin by fully submitting to
the will of the Father. He will obey God to the point of death on the cross. As
the God-man, this sacrifice is enough to free all human beings from the devil's
grasp. Unfortunately, Simon Peter sees the crucifixion, at least at this
moment, as a shame, not a triumph. As if he knew better, he tries to correct
Jesus' thinking.
Jesus strongly rejects Peter's erroneous mindset. He calls
him "Satan" because Peter has tempted Jesus, just like the devil did
after His baptism. Jesus then explains that not only must He suffer, but those
who follow Him will suffer as well. All His disciples must deny themselves,
take up their cross, and follow Jesus on the path of self-sacrificing love.
At the beginning of this Gospel passage, Jesus asks:
"Who do you say that I am?" Perhaps we would want to respond:
"The one who saves us by our faith in Him." While our response would not
be incorrect like Peter’s, it could lead us astray. As James emphasizes in the
second reading, faith without works “is dead.” If we do not regularly help others,
our presence at Mass means nothing. We must lend a hand to those in need. If,
due to age or disability, we cannot physically help, we should turn off the
television, put down the phone, and pray the rosary for the needy.
There is no shortage of needs we can assist with. School children
need tutors. Nursing homes need ministers of Holy Communion. The elderly need
visitors. A retired teacher responds to the call of the local "Meals on
Wheels" by donating a couple of hours weekly to deliver lunch to seniors.
An elderly woman donates part of her time helping hospital visitors find their
sick loved ones.
When we identify who Jesus is, we also identify who we are.
Jesus is the God-man. As God, He has saved us from our sins through His death.
As human, He helped countless sick and suffering people. Being His disciples,
we share in His divinity. Therefore, our sacrifices and prayers contribute to the
salvation of the world. It is a difficult truth to understand but testified by
St. Paul in his Letter to the Colossians. The second identity is easier to comprehend.
As disciples of Jesus, we should walk as He did, always doing good.
