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1. Jer 20:7-9
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2.Rom12:1-2
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Gospel: Mt 16:
21-27
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No cross, No Crown.
It was during catechetical
class to children, a nun was explaining the Stations of the cross. They got to
the fourth Station were Jesus on the road to Calvary meets his mother. The nun
explained that even though they could not talk to each other, mother and son
spoke just using their eyes." what do you think they said to each
other?" she asked the pupils. The class gave many different answers. One kid
suggested that she said," This is unfair" Another kid suggested that
she said, " Why me?" Finally a sickly little girl raised her thin
hand, got up and said:" Sister, I know what the Blessed mother told Jesus.
She said to him, ' keep on going Jesus!'" why would a mother encourage her
only son on the way to crucifixion to keep on going? Because the mother understands
the Christian principle of "no
cross, no crown."
It was last Sunday when
we read of Simon Peter recognizing and confessing Jesus to be the Messiah, the
Son of the Living God. That demonstration of faith earned him the name Peter,
" Rock." The incident was a highest point in the development of the mission of Jesus. " From that time on, Jesus
began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great
suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be
killed, and on third day be raised."( Mt 16:21).
Jews at the time of
Jesus expected a Messiah who would bring instant glory to Israel in terms of
military success, wealth and prosperity. The disciples shared this popular
belief. So when Peter heard Jesus announcing that he must first endure the
cross, he immediately figured that Jesus must have made a mistake. " So he took Jesus aside and began to rebuke
him, saying, ' God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you." (
verse22). In this context Peter was asking Jesus to abandon and hard way of the
Messiah ( no cross, no crown). Although at some point Jesus had called him
Rock, Jesus now looks at Peter in the face and says to him, " Get behind me Satan! You are a
stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but
on human things" (verse23).
Let's understand that
the gospel of Christ is the coin with two sides: the cross and the crown. If we
try to embrace one side, the glorious side, and reject the other, the suffering
side, we falsify the gospel. The same
Jesus said " Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy
burdens, and I will give you rest"( Matthew 11:28) also said, " If
anyone want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their
cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and
those who lose their life for my sake
will find it."( Matthew 16:24-25). Do we come to Jesus then to be freed from
our burdens or do we come to Jesus to take on the cross? We come to Jesus to be
freed from our meaningless and futile burdens, and in its place, take on the
cross that leads to salvation and glory.
Today's gospel
challenges us to say no to the very attractive but one-sided worldly gospel of
instant glory, a sugar -coated gospel that offers the false promise of "
all crown and no cross." Have you ever heard it on the television:"
Only believe and everything will go well with you?" It did not all go well
with Jesus; he still had to endure the
cross. It did not go well with Mary; a sword of sorrow still pierced her soul.
It did not go well with the countless men and women saints who have gone before
us. Why then should it be gone well with you and me? In the face of disappointment,
bereavement, sickness, ingratitude and failure, our faith response should be,
not to question " why me?" but not to recognize that these
crosses and contradictions are the
necessary conditions for our future glory. The world is the place for the cross. The place for the
cross is heaven.
In the second reading
from the letter of Saint Paul to the Romans we hear Paul making an appeal based
on theological argument, i.e " I appeal to you therefore...." from
Paul's theological argument we need to understand that the playing field is
level for all, Jews and Gentiles alike. But having said that , Paul sees a
problem. The Jewish Christian in Jerusalem still have their Temple where they
can offer sacrifices to God but the Gentile have none. Is this not a privilege?
Paul in responding to this question he responds that it is not a privilege.
Paul tells the Gentiles that their lack of Temple sacrifice is not a big deal
since what really counts before God is not the offering of dead animals but the offering of oneself
as a living sacrifice. What matters is not Temple worship but spiritual
worship.
" I appeal to you therefore, brothers and
sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."(Romans
12:1). In this context Paul is saying that the worship that is holy and
acceptable to God is spiritual worship, the offering of one's body as a living sacrifice. Whether this sacrifice is performed
in a brick and mortar temple or not makes no difference. Since this is the new
concept of worship, Paul goes on to explain what it is and how is done.
"Do
not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God- what is good and
acceptable and perfect"(verse2). Here Paul tells us for important things concerning our spiritual
growth and worship. (1) It is performed in contact with the world, not in
isolation from it. (2) It means saying no to the worldly and societal pressure
that seeks to conform us to its values and standards. (3) It means saying yes
to the transforming and renewing on our minds by submitting mind and will to
God. (4)It enables us to discern what is truly the will of God, as opposed to
the various ways people use God's name to justify selfish and partisan group
interests. Thus we come to know what is good and acceptable and perfect in the
eyes of God.
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