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Home  / News & Publications /  Michigan Catholic News / 2008 /  Jesus shows His disciples a new way to live

by Fr. Richard C. Macey special to The Michigan Catholic
Published August 22, 2008

First Reading: Jeremiah 20:7-9

Jeremiah incurred the wrath of the leaders of the country in Jerusalem when he prophesied that they would not be able to defeat their enemy, Babylonia. He accused the leaders of injustice against the poor and needy in the land. They did not obey the Law of God. The prophet finds it impossible to remain silent and stay safe.

In this passage, Jeremiah expresses his anger to God. He was a mere youth who was high-handedly treated by God. He felt forced into service, just as he still felt compelled to preach. He did not enjoy his importance as a prophet of God’s word! But once he was appointed by God for the task, he had to overcome his hesitation and his desire for self-preservation. His courage came from the power of the word which he was given to speak on behalf of God.

The choice of a vocation to preach the Word of God is not always a carefully planned. There is always the element of surprise! Our local Lutheran pastor did not attend any Church as a young person. However, he felt that he had to go to a church. The nearest one was Lutheran. He started attending weekly services. The pastor noticed the young man sitting by himself, and he encouraged him to take on some responsibilities in the church. After a couple of years, the pastor asked him to consider going to the Lutheran seminary. This first-time pastor explained to me that so many choices seemed out of his control! There was Someone else who was pulling him along. But he would not have changed anything that led him to do the work which excited him now. It wasn’t what he had thought he would be doing.

I felt much the same way in my vocation. I greatly enjoyed my math and science classes in junior high school. I had pre-enrolled in a local Catholic high school. When people asked me when I “got the call” to priesthood, I tell them that I woke up in a dormitory at the seminary with a bell ringing over my head! It wasn’t always easy to continue. But I just kept coming back every year. I was driven by some inner power that wouldn’t “let go.” When I worked with new seminarians, many of them expressed that same drive, that call from God, which just wouldn’t let go of them. Many years later, that same inner power still keeps moving me to fulfill whatever the day calls for, even when my body tells me, “I would rather not!” You just cannot turn away from the call of God!

Second Reading: Romans 12:1-2

Paul presents the groundwork for building a Christian lifestyle, the foundation for a Christian ethic. Faith is more than a good idea. It is a practical experience expressed through actions. This is in complete continuity with Paul’s upbringing as an observant Jew. The works of the prophets were replete with exhortations to the leaders and the people to put into practice their faith, particularly their favorable response to the needy among them.

Christian worship was unusual since it did not require ritual sacrifice of animals or food offerings. There was no temple or ritualized priesthood, like the Jewish or pagan cults required. Paul uses cultic language to demonstrate the practice of “spiritual worship.” Eight of the nine uses of this Greek word for “sacrifice” in the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament, refer to the Jewish cult. The unique sacrificial offering of Christ, demonstrated in the Pauline writings, sufficed for the ritual sacrifice of Christians.

Paul urges the people to “be transformed.” The passive use of the verb presumes “by God” as the agent of that change. This “renewal of your mind” cannot be accomplished by an individual alone. Paul has already ruled that out in Romans 7:25. In the first half of chapter 8, Paul acknowledged the role of the Spirit of God in bringing about a transformation that overcomes the weakness of “the mind” and “the Law.”

Gospel: Matthew 16:21-27

Jesus makes this first of three predictions of the Passion (Matthew 17:22-23, 20:17-19). Peter’s rebuke occurs just after Peter has been commended by Jesus for his profession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God (Matthew 16:17). The role of the disciple is tied to the Passion of Christ. Personal sacrifice demonstrates commitment to a greater vision and goal. Jesus calls His disciples to a different lifestyle than simply a “fully human” one. There is a new dimension as a follower of Jesus Christ that includes the Passion as a unifying factor, both to Jesus and to the community of disciples who have committed their destiny to Him.

Peter is reprimanded and called, “Satan.” In the Old Testament, Satan is the name given to a spirit in the court of God. His role was to “test” the faith of an individual, as in Job 1:6-12, 2:1-7. Later, the figure of Satan was equated with “the devil.” In the Temptation of Jesus, Jesus told the devil, “Get away, Satan!” (Matthew 4:10). It was a far different command than the one to Peter. Peter was given a place in following Jesus. He was not told “go away!” The proper place for a disciple was to be behind the teacher.

Jesus refers to Himself as Son of Man, especially in the Gospel of Mark. It is a Semitic rather than a Greek expression. It means “human being.” But it had taken on a greater meaning in the Jewish apocalyptic literature of this time. The term also appears in the Book of Daniel, chapter 7. The reference to the prophet as “the Son of Man” was reinterpreted in the Book of Ezekiel. It came to be known as the one appointed by God at the end of time to announce the coming final judgment. It connects Jesus to the whole human race. He is not just the Son of David. Jesus is more than a Davidic Messiah. The title is also contrasted with the title, Son of God (see Romans 1:3-4). This is another aspect of Jesus’ role in salvation. The incarnational aspect of Jesus, born of Mary, is expressed through this title, Son of Man. Thus, this title had many aspects to reveal the identity of Jesus.

Fr. Richard C. Macey is pastor of Our Lady of the Woods Parish, Woodhaven.