THE IMPLICATIONS OF KNOWING AND FOLLOWING JESUS

 

Homily for the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, Isch

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

 

If you recall, in the gospel reading of last Sunday, Jesus posed a crucial question to his disciples: Who do you say that I am? (Matthew 16:15). Peter’s response, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’ (Matthew 16:16), was a profound confession of faith that not only acknowledged Jesus’ divine identity but also foretold the mission of Jesus. Just as the name ‘Christ’ revealed the identity and mission of Jesus, so also should the names we bear reveal our own identity and mission.

Today’s gospel reading makes us understand that Peter responded to Jesus’ question last Sunday without understanding the full implication of his answer. In Peter’s confession, “Christ” refers to the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. To have acknowledged Jesus as the Christ is to recognize him as the long-awaited Savior, the anointed one, who fulfills the prophecies and promises of God. When Peter identified Jesus as the “Son of the living God,” he acknowledged Jesus’ divine nature and emphasized his unique relationship with God the Father.

To have declared Jesus as the Christ signifies that he is the source of salvation. He is the One who reconciles humanity with God, offering forgiveness, redemption, and eternal life through his sacrificial death and resurrection. As such, Jesus’ prediction of his impending suffering, death and resurrection in today’s gospel is alignment with the confession of Peter. It is through suffering and death that Jesus fulfilled his mission as the Christ (the anointed of God- the Savior). If Peter had understood this, he would not have tried to go ahead of Jesus (Matthew 16:23).

Also, Jesus went further to teach us what it means to be his disciple. He says that to be a follower of his is to be ready to bear the cross and embrace the path of self-sacrifice (Matthew 16:24). As Paul writes in the second reading, we are called to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, transformed by the renewal of our minds (Romans 12:1-2). To be a follower of Christ means to prioritize God’s concerns over human concerns, to embrace the Cross willingly, and to follow Jesus, even when the path is challenging and filled with suffering. True discipleship requires more than a confession of Christ’s identity and an external display of piety; it demands living it out in our daily lives. True discipleship compels us to embrace the path of self-sacrifice and be unwavering in our commitment to Christ’s mission.

My dear friend in Christ, today we are invited to reflect deeply on our own discipleship. Like Peter, at various points in our Christian journey (baptism, confirmation, profession, ordination, marriage, consecration etc.), we have made a profound confession of commitment and faith in Christ. But are we ready to accept the full implications of that commitment? Are we willing to take up our cross, deny ourselves, and put God’s concerns first in our lives? Jeremiah in the first reading experienced inner turmoil in fulfilling his prophetic mission (Jeremiah 20:7-9). He complained of the suffering it brought, but he also acknowledged that God’s word is like a fire burning within him. Despite his struggles, he never held back God’s message. Let us imitate his unyielding faith and commitment in following Jesus. May God grant us the grace to follow Jesus with unwavering devotion, trusting that in the end, it is in losing our live for his sake that we truly find it. Amen.