Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
RELUCTANCE TO SUFFER
God makes a provisional covenant with people. Von Rad calls this the beginning of the patience of God. Life belongs to him too, for people can take the life of animals for their food provided the sign of life, blood, is drained from them, but the life of fellow human beings cannot be taken without punishment.
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.
Reading 1 Gn 9:1-13
God blessed Noah and his sons: He said, “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the Earth! Every living creature—birds, animals, fish—will fall under your spell and be afraid of you. You’re responsible for them. All living creatures are yours for food; just as I gave you the plants, now I give you everything else. Except for meat with its lifeblood still in it—don’t eat that.
“But your own lifeblood I will avenge; I will avenge it against both animals and other humans.
Whoever sheds human blood,
by humans let his blood be shed,
Because God made humans in his image
reflecting God’s very nature.
You’re here to bear fruit, reproduce,
lavish life on the Earth, live bountifully!”
Then God spoke to Noah and his sons: “I’m setting up my covenant with you including your children who will come after you, along with everything alive around you—birds, farm animals, wild animals—that came out of the ship with you. I’m setting up my covenant with you that never again will everything living be destroyed by floodwaters; no, never again will a flood destroy the Earth.”
God continued, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and everything living around you and everyone living after you. I’m putting my rainbow in the clouds, a sign of the covenant between me and the Earth. From now on, when I form a cloud over the Earth and the rainbow appears in the cloud, I’ll remember my covenant between me and you and everything living, that never again will floodwaters destroy all life. When the rainbow appears in the cloud, I’ll see it and remember the eternal covenant between God and everything living, every last living creature on Earth.”
Gospel Mk 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 our God,
to meet hardship and suffering
caused by others or for the sake of others
is often hard to take.
We complain and it shakes our trust.
Help us to accept suffering
as a part of life and a way to grow
and if we do not understand its mystery,
help us to bear it for others,
as Jesus did, your Son,
who lives with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Reflection:
16 February 2023
Mark 8:27-33
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 andanswer the question on everyone’s mind. The episode is set in the vicinity of Caesarea Philippi, the city of 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 a formula is a short-sighted faith. Each person is called to respond in their 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 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 suffering, 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, and the family and followed the Master.
That is why Peter confronts Jesus, protesting on behalf of everyone. Peter does not want to commit to an absurd project that leads to failure, where the Master will be killed. This could be our own reaction too. It is challenging 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 track of your plan for your life because you are driven by your desire for success. But “Come behind me,” stay with me while I lead you on the right path.