Word to the Wise
Sunday, September 3, 2017 - 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - A
[Jer 20:7-9; Rom 12:1-2; Matt 16:21-27]SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2017. TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME [Jeremiah 20:7-9; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27] Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you." He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as humans do." [Matthew] Last week, Peter made a profession of faith that resulted in his being given the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. This week he shows that he has no idea what to do with those keys. When Jesus tries to turn toward Jerusalem to undergo his passion, death and resurrection, Peter tries to stand in the way. Such a fate did not square with his own vision of who Jesus is. He was all too human in that regard and Jesus has to say, "Get out of my way!" Not only would Jesus suffer, but anyone who wished to be his disciple had to be prepared to "deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." Peter had Jesus' title right, but did not understand what that title would require. The same can be true of someone who claims the title of "disciple." The first three hundred years of the Church's existence were punctuated by persecution and martyrdom until the emperor Constantine gave legal status to the Church. That made a big difference in the spread of the faith, but it did not mean persecution and martyrdom were at an end. Those who are serious about being a disciple of Jesus must understand that faith can be a threat to others. The words of Jeremiah in the first scripture today echoed in the minds and hearts of Jesus' disciples centuries later: "All the day I am an object of laughter; everyone mocks me." The crucifix is a continual invitation to reflect on the seriousness of discipleship, but we know that beyond that cross is the place of resurrection. If we try to avoid the difficulties of discipleship, we will avoid discipleship altogether. AMEN
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