Homilies

12th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: KNOWING AND FOLLOWING JESUS THE CHRIST

THE GOSPEL THIS SUNDAY helps us to reflect and to know the identity of Jesus. Jesus may be anxious what do people think of him and what do his disciples know about him.

First, he asked his disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” There is commonality in the crowds' understanding. It appears that the majority of people was confused and mistook Jesus for one of the prophets of old. Well, Jesus may see a reason why people could see him as prophet because he was compared to his cousin, John. Jesus, like John, inaugurated his ministry with the proclamation “The kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” However, it is not correct to call Jesus as prophet. In fact, Jesus did not affirm and confirm the crowds’ understanding of him. Certainly, he is more than a prophet because he is the Son of the Father.

Second, Jesus sought for a better answer, and now he turned to his disciples themselves. His question was, “But who do you say that I am?” This was now a personal question that his disciples must answer. In this passage, we heard that it was only Peter who replied by saying, “the Christ of God.” In other words, Jesus was known by Peter as the Christ or the Messiah (meaning, the anointed one).  Jesus did not show any sign of disapproval. He agreed with Peter’s answer because that is the truth.

Third, Jesus then tried to connect or relate his being Christ with the cross. He told him about his impending suffering, death, and resurrection. Jesus’ prediction of his passion was a way of telling his disciples that, as Christ, he is not a triumphant and kingly Christ. The disciples’ expectation does not meet Jesus’ self-understanding of himself. He is the Christ who suffers.

Fourth, it is on this context that Jesus set the condition of discipleship. He says, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Here, it has been emphasized that the cross can be encountered every day. The cross is not there, far from us. The cross is very near us because it appears daily, and has to be carried daily.

Now, there are two things we can learn from this gospel. First, as believers, we  need to know who is this God whom we believe. As St Paul said we should explore the depth, height, length, and width of the fullness of the knowledge of God. On the one hand, we depend on what “other people” teach us about God. We rely on the teachers of the faith. But they are not the only source for the knowledge. On the other, remember, Jesus also asked “Who do you say that I am?” We can personally explore the depth of the person of Jesus if we often read the Word of God and spend time with him in prayer. Some people have different names or relationships with Jesus, depending on how intimate have they been with him.

Second, believing that Jesus as the Christ has consequences. The Christ who suffers also invites us to embrace suffering. This is relevant because most of us want ease, comfort and luxury. This is our tendency! When a husband and a wife suffer from misunderstanding, they consider only one solution, that is, separation. For them, that makes life more comfortable than living together. When a sick person is a burden for some, they tend to pray for his death. They can be comfortable without him. In affluent countries, like Japan, suicide is seen as a solution to personal problems.

Discipleship has two important components: knowledge and following. These are the lessons that the gospel today gives us.

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