REFLECTION FOR THE 22ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A

 

THE DEMANDS OF FOLLOWING JESUS CHRIST

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch

Readings: Jeremiah 20:7-9, Romans 12:1-2, Matthew 16:21-27

 

The gospel reading of today is on Jesus’ first prediction of his passion and death. He did this by telling the disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the Jewish authorities, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law and be killed and be raised on the third day (Matt. 16:21). To the disciples, this was bad news. This explains why Peter had to take Jesus aside and reproached him for conceiving such thoughts. Indeed, Peter’s reaction was simply human. He was concerned about the well-being of his friend and master. He acted from genuine intentions in the same way that very many of us would have reacted in such a situation. If Peter were Nigerians, his responses to Jesus’ statement would not have been far from these: God forbid! I reject it or such a thing is not your portion.

Naturally, we desire a life of ease and comfort. We dread suffering of every kind. But then, our pattern of thinking is different from that of God. What the disciples perceived as bad news was to Jesus, a path to glory and a sign of victory. Suffering is not always negative. What Jesus teaches us in that gospel passage is that suffering is part of our identity as Christians. Suffering is not always a sign of chastisement but a means of sanctification and glorification. Last Sunday, it was the same Peter who identified Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God but what Peter did not understand is that the mission of Jesus as the Christ is to go the way of the cross (Matt. 16:16). Apparently, Peter was more a hindrance than a helper. In our lives as well, we have people (tempters as Jesus called them) like Peter who stand on our way as obstacles and stumbling blocks. We need the courage of Jesus to be able to rebuke them to get behind us. Our duty as disciples of Jesus Christ is not to get ahead of Jesus or to dictate the pace for him but to get behind him, accept his plans and his will for us, and to follow his lead because he is our Way.

Following Jesus comes with certain conditions albeit difficult and discomforting ones. Jesus mentions two of these conditions in today’s gospel reading. First, if anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and second, let him take up his cross and follow me (Matt. 16:24). Basically, to follow Jesus, we must be ready to deny ourselves of something and we must be prepared as well to bear crosses. Denying ourselves does not mean disowning or rejecting ourselves. It rather entails leaving behind or surrendering some things that hinder us from following Jesus. Carrying our cross on the other hand implies taking up something that will make us better followers of Jesus. Both of these conditions require a whole lot of sacrifice and renunciation. What are we ready to give up or to deny ourselves and what are we ready to take up so as to become better persons, Christians, priests, leaders, wives, husbands or children? Basically, we are to leave behind our vices and bad attitudes and we are to take up good habits.

The instruction of Jesus is also an insight into real life itself. No cross means no growth and no pain, no gain. In life, there are often no free rides. We often encounter occasional moments of glitches and discomfort. In order to excel in the vocations or undertakings we have chosen, we must be ready to deny ourselves of so many things and be prepared as well to take up the hitches that may come our way. Sadly, we are living in a time when people want an easy life. It is in this regard that the admonition of St. Paul in the second reading becomes very expedient: "Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2).

Dear friend, as Christians, we have all been called to follow Jesus Christ, though in different capacities- according to our different states in life and professions. The way of Jesus is often the way of the cross. It can onerous as following Jesus often comes with some demands. Therefore, the demand that is made of all of us today is to find out the things to surrender or to leave behind and the things we need to start doing better in order to be good followers of Jesus in our different states in life. As a student for instance, I may consider leaving behind the frequent use of the social media and other forms of distractions so as to devote more time to my studies. Finally, let us ask the Lord to grant us the grace to be able to deny ourselves of some things and to courageously and patiently bear the crosses that life throws at us especially as we journey with Jesus as his disciples. Amen.