Jesus had called His disciples. They had seen His miracles. They had heard His teaching. But now, something new …
“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” (Mt. 16:21).
Suffering doesn’t seem to fit. And Jesus shows His disciple that not only must He suffer, but He must also “suffer greatly” … and He will be killed.
We can fall into the misunderstanding that religion is a holy self-improvement program. A call, miracles and good teaching can easily be seen to blend with a contemporary, yet sacred “personal empowerment” plan. We can misconstrue faith and religion to be similar to a gym membership where we select to do cardio, weights and aerobics and then see the results over time. If the results aren’t measuring up to where we want them, we give up our effort.
Faith is very different. We don’t control God. We are in relationship with Him Who is our Creator. And we are called to follow Him. Following Him often means contending with forces opposed to God – worldly ways, temptation, and the persecution that follows from doing what is right and just.
Jesus is the Son of God, and we see the way the world treated Him. And Jesus helps to prepare His disciples for the same ordeal. But Jesus promises us that if we endure with Him, with Him we too will be raised from the dead.
That is the astounding promise of Jesus: He has conquered death, and if we are joined to Him through the Sacraments and the life of grace, we share in His resurrection.
Something new. Something beautiful. A call, a miracle, a profound teaching – even in the midst of the suffering we endure. The Lord promises us that if we cling to Him, He will deliver us.
God bless, Msgr.
Brian Bransfield
