HOMILY FOR THE 22ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A. (6)

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

THEME: Fear of Suffering and the Lure of False Messianism.

BY: Fr. Luke Ijezie

Jeremiah 20:7-9
Resp. Psalm 63:2-6,8-9
Romans 12:1-2
Matthew 16:21-27

Life is hard. The longer and deeper one experiences life the clearer that truth shines. But despite this stark reality about life, we are naturally afraid of hardship. So we often tend to cut corners in order to succeed. We often tend to follow those who preach the easy way. But in the spiritual life, it is very difficult to cut corners and still succeed. It is very difficult to succeed without encountering many obstacles and situations of suffering. All who want to follow Jesus are alerted from the beginning that his is not an easy road.

All the readings of this twenty-second Sunday of the liturgical year highlight the fact that suffering is part and parcel of the religious journey and, particularly, the followership of Jesus.

1. In the first reading from Jer 20:7-9, we see the prophet groaning under the terrible burden of a religious vocation adorned with terrible moments. Jeremiah desperately complains directly to God that his prophetic ministry is littered with suffering. He literally accuses God of seducing him into this ministry. A ministry of proclaiming the word of God, which he thought would bring him joy and peace, has now become a thorn in his flesh, exposing him to repeated insult, mockery, rejection and oppression. But despite these, he cannot abandon the ministry as it has become a fire burning in his heart. Like the Psalmist of today’s Psalm 63, Jeremiah’s soul like a dry waterless land thirsts for God’s presence to see His strength and glory in the midst of his hardship. We often find ourselves in the shoes of the weeping Jeremiah when we toil and face only hardship and rejection and failure.

2. In the second reading from Rom 12:1-2, the Apostle Paul argues that the best way to live the Christian life is to offer oneself as a living sacrifice. What does this mean? It means dedicating one’s life completely to doing God’s will in everything without counting the cost. Serving or helping others for the sake of God brings a lot of suffering with it, but the consolation is in the fact that we are offering it as a libation to God.

3. In the Gospel text from Matt 16:21-27, Jesus sternly rebukes Peter, his highly valued disciple, as Peter tries to suggest an alternative way to glory without hardship and suffering and death, which the cross signifies. Jesus calls Peter “satan”, which here means an adversary, one who poses as a stumbling block to another, one who seduces one away from one’s goal or destiny. The goal of Jesus is glory, but it will come through betrayal, suffering and death. But Peter also wants glory for Jesus but tries to banish suffering and death as the means. All these are happening after Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Christ. Peter, thus, shows he does not fully understand what it implies to be the Christ.

4. How many times have we found ourselves in the position of Peter, trying to dodge from or eliminate all forms of suffering in the spiritual journey? Today, we see among us different approaches to being Christian. The most attractive is the one that preaches prosperity and success and banishes every form of suffering and poverty. People are more attracted to a form of Christianity that creates wealth and prosperity, that banishes sickness in miraculous ways, that wields devastating power against all opposing human forces. This is the type of Christianity that Peter originally imagined. But Jesus shocks him by calling him Satan, an adversary, a destiny breaker. Ironically, many today follow this brand of Christianity oblivious of the fact that they are playing the role of satan before Jesus, enemies of the Cross of Jesus.
The consequence is that they easily become victims of diverse forms of false messianic preachings, that is, system of ideas that promise instant transformation and breakthrough without toil. There are many such preachers masquerading about as disciples of Christ. They lead many astray as they continue to preach a Christianity without the reality of the Cross. The hard reality is that the genuine follower of Christ is often denied and betrayed, oppressed and deprived, insulted and falsely accused, sometimes beaten and even killed. The true Christian does not always meet with prosperity, though he may experience it sometimes. He or she is often a victim of great misfortunes and terrible hardship. Sometimes, He or she is a victim of broken relationships and broken families. Despite all these, the true follower of Christ keeps moving knowing that the journey ends in triumph and glory. Jesus warns us in today’s Gospel: “What then will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his soul?”
May these words inspire us to continue to remain faithful to God in the face of hardship!

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