Dear brothers and sisters, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).
Man thinks and approbates in terms of success, glory, human honor, first places, and the like. But God’s ways are different. He stated, “My ways are not your ways, and my thoughts are not your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
The first reading (Isaiah 50: 5-9) is the story of a certain servant of Yahweh (God) who suffered persecution but who willfully accepted the persecution and suffering. He says, “I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.” As the servant of God, one would have expected God to prevent persecution and make life easier for His servant. The above is typical of the human way of thinking. But God’s ways are different. He instead allowed His servant to pass through the ordeal, teaching that suffering is not a curse. It is of great importance to note that God was there to help His servants.
Who Do You Say That I Am?
In the Gospel (Mk. 8:27-35), Jesus asks His disciples: Who do people say I am? It was surprising how the people had different opinions on who Jesus was. Some said He was Elijah or John the Baptist, and others said He was one of the Prophets. But when the disciples were directly asked who Jesus was, Peter spoke up and answered that He was Christ. As the Christ, Peter knew that Jesus was the son of God, the Messiah, and the savior of the world.
What followed Peter’s answer was a twist and a shocker that he was not ready to accept. “Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by elders, the chief priests ….” This didn’t fit into Peter’s model of a Messiah, the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Peter’s reaction was swift. He rebuked Jesus for saying that. But Jesus answered him, “Get behind me, Satan, for you are thinking not as God does but as human beings do.”
Like Peter, many of us have misunderstood the Messianic role of Jesus Christ. We reason like Peter when we see suffering, poverty, sickness, mishaps, adversity, etc., as curses. We reason like Peter when we think only in terms of success, prosperity, honor, pleasure, etc. We are like Peter when we do not want anything to do with the cross in our lives and seek Christianity without a cross.
Faith Expressed in Work
In the second reading, James talks about practical expressions of our faith (Jm. 2:14-18). Our faith must be expressed in and through our work and deeds because “faith that does not have work is dead.” We can express our faith by making sacrifices in terms of charity and self-denial, accepting daily life problems with joy, and offering them for the salvation of souls, and ultimately, by carrying our cross daily. Those are our works that express our faith in God. This is what Jesus Christ demands of us as proof of being his followers. He says, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). Carrying our cross on a daily basis is part of our work that shows our faith in God, and His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Always remember that Jesus loves you!
Great article and an even better in person sermon. Thank you Fr. Sylvanus. Appreciate your wisdom and encouragement.