TWENTY FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)
Mark 8, 27-35
Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ. ’” Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.
TAKING JESUS SERIOUSLY
José Antonio Pagola
English translation Rev. Fr.Valentine de Souza S.J
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| Rev. Fr.Valentine de Souza S.J |
The episode at Caesarea Philippi occupies a central place in Mark’s Gospel. After Jesus lived with his disciples for some time, he asks them a crucial question: “Who do you say I am?” Peter unhesitatingly answers in the name of all: “You are the Christ.” At last, it seems, everything is clear. Jesus is the Messiah sent by God and the disciples follow him to work with him.
Jesus knows that this is not the whole truth. They have still to learn something very important. It is easy to profess faith in Jesus in words, but they yet do not know what it means to follow him closely by cooperating in his project and sharing his destiny. Mark says that Jesus “began to teach them.” It is not one more lesson, but something fundamental which the disciples will have to be assimilating little by little.
From the beginning he speaks to them “plainly”. He does not want to hide anything from them. They must understand that suffering will accompany them always in their task of opening paths to the kingdom of God. In the end, he will be condemned by the religious leaders and will die a violent death. Only at his resurrection will they see that God is with him.
Peter refuses to accept what he is hearing. You can hardly believe his reaction. He takes Jesus aside by himself to remonstrate with him. He had been the first to profess him as the Messiah. Now he is the first to reject him. He wants to make Jesus understand that what he is saying is absurd. He is not ready to see him follow that road. Jesus has to change his way of thinking.
Jesus reacts with unknown harshness. Suddenly he begins to see in Peter the characteristics of Satan, the tempter in the desert who wants to draw people away from the will of God. He turns to face his disciples and literally rebukes Peter with these words: “Get behind me, Satan!”; take your place as a disciple once again. Stop tempting me. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
He then calls the people and his disciples to listen well to what he is going to say. He will repeat it on various occasions. They must never forget it. “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
No one is obliged to follow Jesus. It’s each one’s free decision. But we must take Jesus seriously. Casual professions wont do. If we want to follow him in his passionate task of bringing about a more human world, a world of dignity and happiness, we have to be ready for two things: firstly, to give up projects or plans opposed to the kingdom of God. Secondly, to accept the sufferings that befall us as we follow Jesus and identify ourselves with his cause.
Peter refuses to accept what he is hearing. You can hardly believe his reaction. He takes Jesus aside by himself to remonstrate with him. He had been the first to profess him as the Messiah. Now he is the first to reject him. He wants to make Jesus understand that what he is saying is absurd. He is not ready to see him follow that road. Jesus has to change his way of thinking.
Jesus reacts with unknown harshness. Suddenly he begins to see in Peter the characteristics of Satan, the tempter in the desert who wants to draw people away from the will of God. He turns to face his disciples and literally rebukes Peter with these words: “Get behind me, Satan!”; take your place as a disciple once again. Stop tempting me. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
He then calls the people and his disciples to listen well to what he is going to say. He will repeat it on various occasions. They must never forget it. “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
No one is obliged to follow Jesus. It’s each one’s free decision. But we must take Jesus seriously. Casual professions wont do. If we want to follow him in his passionate task of bringing about a more human world, a world of dignity and happiness, we have to be ready for two things: firstly, to give up projects or plans opposed to the kingdom of God. Secondly, to accept the sufferings that befall us as we follow Jesus and identify ourselves with his cause.
Help people to take Jesus seriously
Jose Antonio Pagola, vgentza@euskalnet.net , San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa, Spain.
English Translation by Valentine de Souza S.J. Mandal, Gujarat , India.394650
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