Gospel reading: Lk 9:18-22
ONCE when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’ ” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone. He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
REFLECTION: The son of man must suffer greatly
Jesus predicts the terrible things that will happen to him. He asks his disciples not to reveal to anyone that he is the Messiah of God. His identity should not be the talk of the town. Never mind if people mistake him for John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets of old.
Jesus will suffer a lot as a result of his claim as the Son of Man. As more and more people come to believe in his teachings, the political and religious leaders at the highest level will take notice of him, and they will make it a point to suppress his identity and ministry. They will employ violent means to tell the crowds that Jesus is not the Messiah of God or the Son of Man. They will silence him because he disturbs their peace.
We will also suffer greatly if we are true to our identity as Christians. We are not here for the comfort and support of those who want to preserve their power and status quo. We will suffer because the higher ups will try to stop us. They will employ nasty tricks to get rid of us. They will spread rumors and false information about us.
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When we suffer for our faith, we will know that we have succeeded to live as Christ’s disciples.
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SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord,” ST PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.