If I didn’t know better I would think that the passage from the Gospel which has been just proclaimed to us is an early example of political correctness. Let’s look at the passage again. Jesus asks his disciples about people’s opinion about himself. What did they say? “Some say you are John the Baptist, others Elijah; others again one of the prophets.” Good answers indeed. Actually if you go through the previous chapters of the Gospel of St Mark you can find Jesus being called a prophet. Herod also called him John the Baptist. I would say the Apostles provided good quotations. However I still wonder why they didn’t say that some people called him Beezebul or possessed by the Prince of devils. Was it a tactful omission? Was it an early example of political correctness? Or were they still on the way to have established a trusting relationship with Christ when you can be upfront with your own doubts and struggles about Jesus? St Mark tells us today that “they were on the way.” In fact they were walking a lot with Jesus. At the same time their walking had nothing to do with the walking of the health fanatics you can see on your Peninsula. The Apostles were embracing Jesus as their Lord and Saviour with trust and confidence. It didn’t happen at instant. It took time, like walking takes time.
My Sisters and Brothers! If I asked you what people say about Jesus today we could get a lot of interesting or even shocking answers. One of the answers I find interesting is that Jesus is a myth, a fairly story, which means that he didn’t exist. At some stage I attempted to argue that but now I usually say: “That’s a good question. I don’t have an answer because Jesus has never said to us what to say to those who say that he isn’t real.”
I believe that here among you I don’t need to prove Jesus’ existence. Do I? That’s why I would like to move to another description of Christ we can find after some careful reading and reflection on this passage.
After the Apostles answered Jesus’ questions he gave them a hint into his own identity. He said to them that he was going to Jerusalem to die. Someone could now say that Jesus was a suicide attempter. But my question would be this: “When do people commit a suicide?” When they are depressed; when they find life burdensome and meaningless; when they cannot see anything bright in their life. However the Holy Scriptures, precisely the Book of Wisdom, describes God as “lover of life.” When do we describe someone as loving life? When the person goes surfing, looks for adventures, travels a lot to new places, etc. However Jesus shows us what it means for him loving life when he starts making his way to Jerusalem to be put to death. He didn’t do that because he lost interest in life. On the contrary he is “lover of life” but for him it is not focusing on his exciting adventures but it is about “laying his life for his friends.” He is to sacrifice his life so that you and me and all the others out there could have life and could have it to the full. By showing us himself as “lover of life” he gives us this hint how to draw our own bucket list: put as the first point sacrificing yourself for God and others.
If next time someone asks you who Jesus is you can say this: “He is the lover of life, and so am I as his follower.”
My Sisters and Brothers! If I asked you what people say about Jesus today we could get a lot of interesting or even shocking answers. One of the answers I find interesting is that Jesus is a myth, a fairly story, which means that he didn’t exist. At some stage I attempted to argue that but now I usually say: “That’s a good question. I don’t have an answer because Jesus has never said to us what to say to those who say that he isn’t real.”
I believe that here among you I don’t need to prove Jesus’ existence. Do I? That’s why I would like to move to another description of Christ we can find after some careful reading and reflection on this passage.
After the Apostles answered Jesus’ questions he gave them a hint into his own identity. He said to them that he was going to Jerusalem to die. Someone could now say that Jesus was a suicide attempter. But my question would be this: “When do people commit a suicide?” When they are depressed; when they find life burdensome and meaningless; when they cannot see anything bright in their life. However the Holy Scriptures, precisely the Book of Wisdom, describes God as “lover of life.” When do we describe someone as loving life? When the person goes surfing, looks for adventures, travels a lot to new places, etc. However Jesus shows us what it means for him loving life when he starts making his way to Jerusalem to be put to death. He didn’t do that because he lost interest in life. On the contrary he is “lover of life” but for him it is not focusing on his exciting adventures but it is about “laying his life for his friends.” He is to sacrifice his life so that you and me and all the others out there could have life and could have it to the full. By showing us himself as “lover of life” he gives us this hint how to draw our own bucket list: put as the first point sacrificing yourself for God and others.
If next time someone asks you who Jesus is you can say this: “He is the lover of life, and so am I as his follower.”
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