September 16, 2012 24th
Sunday in Ordinary Time B
Isaiah 50:4-9; James 2:14-18; Mark
8: 27-35
The question for me today is who am I following? So often it is
very easy to feel very safe and secure in my ministry, in my
priesthood, in being a Catholic Christian. Feeling safe and secure
also means that I have ‘reached the pinnacle’; I know what it’s
all about and this would lead me to think that I don’t have to do
anything else in my journey to the Lord. Today’s readings,
especially Jesus’ question in the Gospel stops me in my tracks.
Mark sets the scene; he starts the eighth chapter with the feeding of the four thousand and then Jesus got into the boat with His disciples but the Pharisees stopped Him and began to argue with Him seeking some sort of magical sign from heaven to verify what He was doing. Jesus asked WHY does this generation seek a sign. Why do I seek a sign, can’t I just trust and believe? Then they went across the lake and they arrived at Bethsaida, He cured a blind man (last week’s Gospel). Then Jesus asked the pointed questions: “Who do people say that I am?” This is a very easy question because all one has to do is to tell what they have heard; there is no self dedication or reforming that is needed. Then Jesus asks, “But who do you say that I am?” I can’t hide behind this and say what others think, He is asking me.
It is really quite amazing but Scripture scholars say that of the 183 questions that Jesus is asked or asks in the four gospels He only directly answers three of them. He puts the burden back on me and each person with the questions He asks. And they are good questions, unnerving questions, realigning questions and transforming questions. Some say that today’s question is THE question of the whole Gospel. He asks this of His disciples and me. He asks it of me today with love and respect. What does He want? He wants to hear the disciples and me name Him, identify Him, and choose Him.
John Dear, a priest, retreat leader, author and peace activist wrote a book, “The Questions of Jesus” says this: “Each one of us needs to spend time with this question. We can imagine the gentle eyes of Jesus looking at us, smiling with His usual loving kindness, and hoping for our faith and loving affirmation. He knows who He is because He heard God call Him ‘my beloved,’ And He knows who we are, that God calls each one of us God’s own beloved sons and daughters. But He knows too that we do not yet understand any of this, so He tries to draw us out, to lead us to the truth, to help us figure it out.” So this question of Jesus is not an accusatory one but a probing one. It begs me to go within and to see the love and gifts that have been showered upon me, and the protection and grace that have always been present and to ask ‘So what does it tell you about Me? He’s asking me, ‘What are you going to do now?’
James tackled this question in the second reading; he’s telling me to look at my faith. Alice Camille in ‘Exploring the Sunday Readings’ says this, “And the evidence of our faith is not how many times we went to Mass, how many sacraments we received, how many crumbled bills we threw in the basket, or how many sermons we tried to stay awake through. If we went to parochial school or a Catholic college that may have been great for us but it doesn’t give us the keys to the kingdom. If we gave up chocolate every Lent for 75 years that’s both impressive and peculiar but not decisive in the reign of God. Jesus was pretty clear about what God requires of us: love your neighbor, take care of the poor, forgive each other, see your enemy as a brother or sister. All the religious behavior is supposed to get us to the starting gate of works. It must not end there.”
In each of the three Gospels (Mark 8:29, Luke 9:20, Matthew 16:15) this question makes me reflect on my cross; Jesus is reflecting on His and He said the cross is the way to heaven. My cross is connected to how I and each person answer this question. I need to look hard into the story of Jesus to begin to comprehend who He really is. I can certainly say so easily that Jesus is the Son of God yet miss the nonviolence and peacefulness that is at the core of His message. I can say that’s it easy to love; it is, to those who love me, but what did Jesus teach me about suffering love or ‘hard love.’ The easy life of a being a Christian and fellowship and sharing is wonderful, affirming, and needed but Jesus willingly suffered the cross as the way of God’s redemption for me. He did this to show me and all that He is the God of love, the God of compassion, the God of nonviolence. Am I? So I reflect on:
- What has my faith cost me?
- How lively is my faith based on the teaching of Jesus?
- If my faith is ailing in some way, what can I do to ‘save
the patient?’
- When does God seem most near and familiar? How do I respond?
- Do I accept my crosses or try to get rid of them? Do I
realize that in grabbing hold of them I am growing closer to the
Lord?
Fr. Michael Hayes
says “Jesus’ question is addressed to the heart, which, in
biblical terms, means the whole person. Jesus is asking:
- What does my life and presence mean to your life?
- What is your understanding of My mission?
- Why do you follow Me wherever I go?
- Why do you listen to My preaching and teaching?
- What do I mean to you?”
