**Mark 8:27-35**
Jesus and his followers went to the towns around Caesarea Philippi. While they were traveling, Jesus asked them, “Who do people say I am?” They answered, “Some people say you are John the Baptist. Others say you are Elijah. And others say that you are one of the prophets.” Then Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” Jesus ordered his followers, “Don’t tell anyone who I am.” Then Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things. He taught that the Son of Man would not be accepted by the Jewish elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of the law. He taught that the Son of Man must be killed and then rise from death after three days. Jesus told them plainly what would happen. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to criticize him. But Jesus turned and looked at his followers. Then he criticized Peter and said, “Go away from me, Satan! You don’t care about the things of God. You care only about things men think are important.” Then Jesus called the crowd to him, along with his followers. He said, “If anyone wants to follow me, he must say ‘no’ to the things he wants. He must be willing to die on a cross, and he must follow me. Whoever wants to save his life will give up true life. But whoever gives up his life for me and for the Good News will have true life forever.
Food for thought!
Let us begin with the Second Reading of today. It says:
*Take the case, my brothers, of someone who has never done a single good act but claims that he has faith. Will that faith save him? If one of the brothers or one of the sisters is in need of clothes and has not enough food to live on, and one of you says to them, ‘I wish you well; keep yourself warm and eat plenty’, without giving them these bare necessities of life, then what good is that? Faith is like that: if good works do not go with it, it is quite dead. This is the way to talk to people of that kind: ‘You say you have faith and I have good deeds; I will prove to you that I have faith by showing you my good deeds – now you prove to me that you have faith without any good deeds to show.*’ (James 2:14-18)
What James is saying in this reading is the same as what is happening in the Gospel reading. For we are very much like Peter. When Jesus began explaining the practical implications of being the Messiah, Peter grabbed him and took him aside in protest. This can't be. You cannot suffer. Peter knows who Jesus is, the Messiah, but he knows not the practical implications of being Messiah. Peter knows the theory, but not the practical implications of what he knows. He even TAKES JESUS ASIDE! He leads Jesus; he makes Jesus follow him!!!!
No wonder that Jesus confronted Peter. "Go away from me, Satan! You don’t care about the things of God. You care only about things men think are important. '' We are like Peter. We know the right answers, the right theology, right doctrine, the right prayers but we don't know the implications. Indeed, it is easy to profess faith; it is harder to live faith. It is easy to know the doctrine; it is harder to live the doctrine. It is easy to know the theory; it is difficult to practice it. It is easy to be Christian on Sundays; it is harder to remain Christian on Monday through Friday. It is easy to believe in God while sitting in pews; it is harder in the queues of grocery, in the queues of traffic jams and on the streets and in the kitchen and in the homes and offices.
This gospel reminds us that it is not enough to know about Jesus, it is crucially important to profess him, not just on Sundays but also on Monday; not only on the pews but also on the Main street. This is why Jesus reminds us: Not everyone who calls out to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” (Matthew 7:21).
*If one of the brothers or one of the sisters is in need of clothes and has not enough food to live on, and one of you says to them, ‘I wish you well; keep yourself warm and eat plenty’, without giving them these bare necessities of life, then what good is that? Faith is like that: if good works do not go with it, it is quite dead. *
Jesus and his followers went to the towns around Caesarea Philippi. While they were traveling, Jesus asked them, “Who do people say I am?” They answered, “Some people say you are John the Baptist. Others say you are Elijah. And others say that you are one of the prophets.” Then Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” Jesus ordered his followers, “Don’t tell anyone who I am.” Then Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things. He taught that the Son of Man would not be accepted by the Jewish elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of the law. He taught that the Son of Man must be killed and then rise from death after three days. Jesus told them plainly what would happen. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to criticize him. But Jesus turned and looked at his followers. Then he criticized Peter and said, “Go away from me, Satan! You don’t care about the things of God. You care only about things men think are important.” Then Jesus called the crowd to him, along with his followers. He said, “If anyone wants to follow me, he must say ‘no’ to the things he wants. He must be willing to die on a cross, and he must follow me. Whoever wants to save his life will give up true life. But whoever gives up his life for me and for the Good News will have true life forever.
Food for thought!
Let us begin with the Second Reading of today. It says:
*Take the case, my brothers, of someone who has never done a single good act but claims that he has faith. Will that faith save him? If one of the brothers or one of the sisters is in need of clothes and has not enough food to live on, and one of you says to them, ‘I wish you well; keep yourself warm and eat plenty’, without giving them these bare necessities of life, then what good is that? Faith is like that: if good works do not go with it, it is quite dead. This is the way to talk to people of that kind: ‘You say you have faith and I have good deeds; I will prove to you that I have faith by showing you my good deeds – now you prove to me that you have faith without any good deeds to show.*’ (James 2:14-18)
What James is saying in this reading is the same as what is happening in the Gospel reading. For we are very much like Peter. When Jesus began explaining the practical implications of being the Messiah, Peter grabbed him and took him aside in protest. This can't be. You cannot suffer. Peter knows who Jesus is, the Messiah, but he knows not the practical implications of being Messiah. Peter knows the theory, but not the practical implications of what he knows. He even TAKES JESUS ASIDE! He leads Jesus; he makes Jesus follow him!!!!
No wonder that Jesus confronted Peter. "Go away from me, Satan! You don’t care about the things of God. You care only about things men think are important. '' We are like Peter. We know the right answers, the right theology, right doctrine, the right prayers but we don't know the implications. Indeed, it is easy to profess faith; it is harder to live faith. It is easy to know the doctrine; it is harder to live the doctrine. It is easy to know the theory; it is difficult to practice it. It is easy to be Christian on Sundays; it is harder to remain Christian on Monday through Friday. It is easy to believe in God while sitting in pews; it is harder in the queues of grocery, in the queues of traffic jams and on the streets and in the kitchen and in the homes and offices.
This gospel reminds us that it is not enough to know about Jesus, it is crucially important to profess him, not just on Sundays but also on Monday; not only on the pews but also on the Main street. This is why Jesus reminds us: Not everyone who calls out to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” (Matthew 7:21).
*If one of the brothers or one of the sisters is in need of clothes and has not enough food to live on, and one of you says to them, ‘I wish you well; keep yourself warm and eat plenty’, without giving them these bare necessities of life, then what good is that? Faith is like that: if good works do not go with it, it is quite dead. *
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