Thursday of 6th Week in Ordinary Time

 

Equals Before God  

Our constant temptation is to look up to people in positions of power, wealth, influence, and to disregard the poor and the weak and to discriminate against them and also against half of humanity-women. It demands courage to associate with the poor and to stand up for their rights. The Gospel is not to be abused for social agitation to divide and polarize, for Christ came to save the rich too, but it demands social consciousness and involvement. The prophets and the Gospel – also the apostles – have hard-hitting passages about commitment to the poor and to social justice; we should do away with our tendency to deprive them of their impact by explaining them spiritually.

The Gospel tells us today that Jesus asked his disciples one day who they thought he was, and Peter said: You are the Christ, that is, the promised Savior. But when Jesus told them, he would save people by his suffering and death before his resurrection, Peter protested. He could not accept a suffering Lord. For us too, it is hard to accept pain and contradiction. We grumble and protest: “Why me?” But, we have to learn from Jesus that pain and hardship is part of life, and often the way to life and joy. People who have suffered for others understand what love means.

 

First Reading: James 2:1-11 

My dear friends, don’t let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-originated faith. If a man enters your church wearing an expensive suit, and a street person wearing rags comes in right after him, and you say to the man in the suit, “Sit here, sir; this is the best seat in the house!” and either ignore the street person or say, “Better sit here in the back row,” haven’t you segregated God’s children and proved that you are judges who can’t be trusted?

Listen, dear friends. Isn’t it clear by now that God operates quite differently? He chose the world’s down-and-out as the kingdom’s first citizens, with full rights and privileges. This kingdom is promised to anyone who loves God. And here you are abusing these same citizens! Isn’t it the high and mighty who exploit you, who use the courts to rob you blind? Aren’t they the ones who scorn the new name—“Christian”—used in your baptisms?

You do well when you complete the Royal Rule of the Scriptures: “Love others as you love yourself.” But if you play up to these so-called important people, you go against the Rule and stand convicted by it. You can’t pick and choose in these things, specializing in keeping one or two things in God’s law and ignoring others. The same God who said, “Don’t commit adultery,” also said, “Don’t murder.” If you don’t commit adultery but go ahead and murder, do you think your non-adultery will cancel out your murder? No, you’re a murderer, period.

 

Gospel: Mark 8:27-33 

 Jesus and his disciples headed out for the villages around Caesarea Philippi. As they walked, he asked, “Who do the people say I am?”

 “Some say ‘John the Baptizer,’” they said. “Others say ‘Elijah.’ Still others say ‘one of the prophets.’”

 He then asked, “And you—what are you saying about me? Who am I?”

Peter gave the answer: “You are the Christ, the Messiah.”

Jesus warned them to keep it quiet, not to breathe a word of it to anyone. He then began explaining things to them: “It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive.” He said this simply and clearly so they couldn’t miss it.

But Peter grabbed him in protest. Turning and seeing his disciples wavering, wondering what to believe, Jesus confronted Peter. “Peter, get out of my way! Satan, get lost! You have no idea how God works.”

 

Prayer

Lord God, merciful Father,
your Son came to set all people free,
to make the poor rich in faith and hope,
to make the rich aware of their poverty.
Unite us all in one trust in you
and in one common concern for one another;
give us all your attitude and that of Jesus,
of not distinguishing between ranks and classes and sexes
but of seeking together the freedom
brought us by Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

Reflection:

Define the Jesus that you have experienced

Several times in the Gospel, we read that the crowds and the disciples have put the question about Jesus: “Who is this?” With today’s passage, Mark intends to reveal the mystery, answers the question on everyone’s mind. The episode is set in the vicinity of Caesarea Philippi, the city that Philip, one of the sons of Herod the Great.

Jesus poses two questions to his disciples: “Who do people say I am?” and, “Who do you say I am?” The first was about the ‘hear-says.’ But for the second, Jesus does not agree that his disciples should answer the questions with pre-packaged formulas, because a faith that is reduced to formula is a short-sighted faith. Each person is called to respond, in his or her heart, allowing oneself to be illuminated by the light, that the Father gives us to know his Son Jesus.

Peter surprised everyone and declared – “You are the Messiah.” The answer was perfect, but the only difference was about the type of the messiah that Peter had in mind. He expects a mighty ruler like David who would rule the world from the land of Palestine.

Mark wrote his Gospel for the Christians of Rome to invite them to evaluate the reasons that led them to believe in Jesus. The misconception into which Peter and the other eleven had fallen was always looming over all Christian communities. The professions of faith can be impeccable, but the important question that requires an answer is: what reasons do you hold for professing your faith? Is it to escape from pains and sufferings, for success in business or for social status and acceptance? If so, listen to Jesus telling you and me, “Get behind me Satan!”

The Messiah of Jesus is bound to fail in the eyes of the world. He does not go to Jerusalem to scare off his enemies but to offer his own life. That would be a huge disappointment for the disciples. It’s not for this that they left the house, the boat, the family and followed the Master.

That is why Peter confronts Jesus, protesting on behalf of everyone. Peter does not want to commit himself to an absurd project, that leads to failure where the Master will be killed. This could well be our own reaction too. It is not easy to present ourselves as failures before the world. We always want to win.

Jesus’ response to Peter is harsh: “Get behind me, Satan!” (v. 33). His words do not mean “Go away!” Rather, if you are in the front, you could lose the track of my plan for your life because you are driven by your desires for successes. But “Come behind me,” stay with me while I lead you in the right path.

 

Video available on Youtube: Define the Jesus that you have experienced