HOMILY FOR THE 22ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A. (2)

HOMILY FOR THE 22ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A.

THEME: The Upside-Down World of God’s Kingdom.

BY: Father Anthony O. Ezeaputa, MA

In today’s gospel (Matthew 16:21–27), Jesus makes the first prophecy of what awaits him in Jerusalem, i.e., his Passion. “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you” (Matthew 16:22), Peter responds. Jesus then presents them with the upside-down world of the kingdom of God.

Remarkably, Peter has just acknowledged that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, and God’s anointed one (Matthew 16:16). However, the thought of a suffering and crucified Messiah is beyond belief for Peter and the other disciples.

Israel has prayed to God to send them a Messiah who would deliver them from the tyranny of foreign oppressors (Psalms of Solomon 17:21). Peter and the other disciples recognized Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. So, a crucified Messiah is both a contradiction and unthinkable.

There is always the temptation to tell God how to be God. And if God appears not to follow our playbook and doesn’t meet our expectations, we complain. Some may decide to abandon prayer, and some people have even left the church.

The Lord says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8). So, Jesus responds to Peter: “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle for me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (Matthew 16:23). Harsh words, indeed.

Jesus calls Peter Satan (“adversary” or “opponent” in Hebrew) and “an obstacle” (“skandalon” in Greek, meaning something that trips a person, causing them to stumble and fall). Peter has gone from being the rock to a stumbling block. Moreover, he hints at the temptation of Jesus in the desert (Matthew 4:1–11).

After fasting for forty days and forty nights in the desert (Matthew 4:1–11), the tempter advised Jesus to become the Messiah of conventional expectation, far removed from his fate. Peter now seeks to obstruct Jesus from carrying out the plan that God has designated for him (Brendan Byrne).

In addition, Peter’s opposition shows how incompletely he and the other disciples understand the mission of Jesus. Despite Peter being the privileged recipient of divine revelation, he is yet to accept that Jesus “must” undergo his Passion to redeem the world from within (Brendan Byrne).

Jesus says, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). The cross, which is synonymous with a virtuous life, discipline, self-denial, or delayed gratification, is a prerequisite for Christian discipleship.

The thought of a crucified Messiah for the Jews was scandalous—a stumbling block to their hopes for deliverance from foreign oppressors. So, the prophecy of Jesus about what awaited him in Jerusalem was unbearable, if not irritating, for Peter and the other disciples.

Jesus continues: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). In other words, discipleship is the crucifixion and renunciation of self-centeredness for the sake of Jesus Christ.

So, our gospel passage today is about the upside-down world of God’s kingdom. Following Jesus is about a cross, not a crown; it’s about being last, not first; being servant and slave, not lord; about service, not prestige; about self-sacrifice, not glory.

Let us ask for the grace and strength not to conform ourselves to the standards of this age (Romans 12:2). May God give us the strength to carry our cross and follow his son, Jesus, both in good and challenging times, till the end, amen.

FOR MORE HOMILIES CLICK >>>>>