Quinquagesima Sunday 6.3.11 Full commitment
The Gospel today contains two very remarkable prophecies from Our Lord. He tells the apostles that He is going to Jerusalem to be crucified; and having done that He will rise again on the third day!
Both statements were entirely outside the expectations of the apostles. In fact the first one was so surprising that they never even thought about the second one until after it happened.
The first prediction raises two questions.
Why would anyone want to crucify someone who does so much good? And, why would Our Lord willingly go to be taken by such people? Normally people try to escape their pursuers not calmly seek them out.
About to enter Lent we can ask these questions again and apply the answers to ourselves. We find that we are called to follow Our Lord to His rejection and death, and then to share in His resurrection.
Why would anyone want to kill someone who does good? It does seem a bit silly but it happens all the time as we see. And what drives the process is the jealousy and malice of the devil. He hates all that is good and stirs up the same hatred in others.
And there are other reasons: like people protecting their vested interests of power, wealth, and just not wanting anything to change.
Why would Our Lord go to meet this death instead of trying to avoid it? Because He wanted to take on the power of evil head-on and defeat it (which He did).
Peter pleaded with Him that it must not be. This is the response most people would make and they still do make it. It is the response of worldly wisdom which tells us that we must look after ourselves first and not go looking for trouble; at all costs to protect our lives from danger.
Master, you have a good thing going here; why spoil it?
Today the world says to the Church: you have a good thing going (in many ways). Why not remove the Cross and then maybe we would join you. We can understand the command to love and make peace, but we cannot abide sacrifice or difficulty. Religion is a good thing but it must not be taken too far.
We are being reminded here of the radical challenge of our faith; that we are playing for high stakes.
If we are to be disciples of a crucified Lord we cannot expect total ease and comfort. There have to be some ripples along the way.
It has always been a problem for the Church that each generation has to be convinced all over again of the need for total commitment. Always there is a temptation to reduce Christian commitment to a comfortable minimum.
Who is this Jesus of Nazareth to me?
Every year, especially at Lent and Easter we confront these questions. We have to answer ‘Yes’ all over again each time. Lethargy and apathy are never far away and they will creep up on us if we relax the vigilance. It is so easy for us to go off the boil. We need Pentecost every day.
Total commitment does not mean we all have to give sermons in the street, but merely to get right whatever we have to do.
It is usually little things; avoid sins, and occasions of sins. Do not blindly follow what other people do. Avoid immorality, be honest in business, be truthful in giving and keeping your word. Be kind and courteous to everyone. (cf Epistle. Love is always patient and kind)
If your friends ridicule you, get a different set of friends. Take the ridicule as sharing in Christ’s sufferings.
Almighty God does not do things by halves. His suffering and His joy both shock us in the extent to which He takes them.
Like the apostles many today can make nothing of these words. They cannot or do not assimilate it.
But we must base our lives on them. We follow Him to Calvary and beyond, to eternity.
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