TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR C
Commentary of Fr. Fernando Armellini
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 asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Messiah 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.” Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
A good Sunday to all.
Today's gospel passage begins by presenting Jesus praying alone. Seven times, the evangelist Luke presents Jesus in prayer. Jesus felt the need for prayer, for personal prayer made in solitude because Jesus always wanted to remain in complete harmony with the thought and will of the Father, and he taught us to pray. To pray is not to repeat formulas but to allow oneself to be penetrated by the thought of the Spirit of God so that it may guide our life as true sons and daughters of God. It is the image that we have before us, and it is the image of Jesus of Nazareth, who was always in complete harmony with the Father.
Jesus recommends that we also have these moments of silence to recover our distance from the thoughts and will of God. This occurs in the prayer that Jesus suggests doing in one's room; the Greek term is 'tameion,' which is in the pantry, which was those caves that were located underneath the houses of Nazareth, caves that had no windows and which were utterly silent. Jesus recommends also closing the door so that there should be no light, no voice of this world, but only the light and the voice of God.
When we enter this ' tameion,' we realize that we are often still beasts precisely because we are selfish, aggressive, and perhaps violent with our brothers. Still, if we enter into prayer in this silence, when we come out, it is like coming out of a womb, and we are new people, true sons and daughters of God. That's why we need these moments of prayer.
Today's Gospel passage begins by saying that Jesus was alone in prayer, and soon, we will see how the one who prays reasons in a very different way than the disciples who have not prayed. The disciples appear after the presentation of Jesus in prayer. Jesus asks them, "Who do the crowds say I am?” Why, after praying, does Jesus ask this question to the disciples? Had he been distracted in prayer? Perhaps he had thought, 'Do people esteem me? Do they appreciate me or not?’
Jesus' intentions are very different to where he wants to go. He's not interested in whether he is esteemed or not. He is only interested in educating the disciples and making them mature in understanding his identity. He knows very well what messiah his disciples have in mind, and he wants to make them grow so that they can accept and follow the Messiah of God. The disciples have not prayed; therefore, they continue to remember the messiah they expect and desire. Jesus does not want information but wants to make them reflect; he wants his disciples to come to find the truth.
We often proceed differently; we throw the truth on people, and this creates a problem for them to accept it because they do not understand it; on the other hand, Jesus uses a different pedagogy; he makes them mature, and he makes the truth come out of them so that they accept it much better and remains imprinted in their minds and their hearts.
Therefore, he wants to bring them to understand the identity of their Master, and here then is the question: Who do the multitude say that I am? It could also be translated as 'What do the people expect from me?' It is the same question we should be asking ourselves and ask the disciples of today, to those who accompany Jesus today who perhaps are not true disciples, they are acquaintances of Jesus, they are with Jesus, but we will see in a moment what this entails 'being a disciple.'
What do today's Christians also expect from Jesus? Who is Jesus to the people? And then, who is Jesus for the disciple? The answer they give: 'John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets. This is what people say about you.' This is the response of the disciples. Why do they respond in this way? It is for a straightforward reason: a short time before, they went to announce the mission entrusted to them by Jesus, to announce the kingdom of God. Therefore, they contacted the people and presented Jesus to them.
What did the people understand? That Jesus was a great personage, a prophet, Elijah, John the Baptist; these were important persons, eminent in the religious history of Israel. So, we should rejoice because they appreciate and esteem Jesus. The result is disappointing. The people did not understand the identity of Jesus.
Who were these people with whom Jesus is confused? Elijah: many similarities are present in Jesus and reminiscent of Elijah. People accepted these similarities and identified him with Elijah. What were these similarities with Elijah? He had a clear vision; he was the one who rejected compromise; he believed in the one God. We remember that in Carmel, he says to the people: ‘No compromise, stop swaying your feet, a little bit to the left and a little bit to the right, a little bit yes, a little bit no.’ A decisive choice is needed.
In this, Jesus resembles Elijah when he presents the one God, the abandonment of all idols, for otherwise, man becomes a slave of these idols: God or money: don't keep your foot in two socks. In this, Jesus resembles Elijah, and the people acknowledge this resemblance, as do those who worship the one God and do not cling to idols.
Elijah loved people and was interested in them; he was interested in the poor; he cared for the widow, the fatherless, and the injustice suffered by the poor. Let us remember the vineyard of Naboth. Jesus also resembles Elijah because he is interested in the last ones, the poor and the widows. Also, Elijah has engaged in the history of his people; he has come into conflict with Ahab, with Jezebel, with the idolatrous religion of Baal. In this, Jesus resembles Elijah, who had to deal with the priests, the scribes, the temple cult, and the Pharisees.
And then, like Elijah, Jesus is very decisive in proposing his demands; he wants decisive choices, not one thing and the other. I would say that also Jesus, like Elijah, is a man of prayer, one who unites himself to God in a very different way, of course, in very different proportions, but even Elijah is a man who always abides by God, trying to be in tune with God.
However, later, he also makes big mistakes when he wanders away from prayer, and it will be when he enters the cave, a bit like a 'tameion,' where he will enter and exit a new man in that cave on Mount Horeb. Also, Elijah and Jesus are men of prayer. This the people have grasped.
And then there are differences, of course, because Elijah is a warlike prophet, animated by zeal, but impetuous, fanatical, intolerant, and he commits violence. In this, Jesus certainly does not resemble Elijah. We shall see it when his disciples propose to him to make fire fall from heaven as Elijah did; Jesus said, 'Stop making such speeches.' No bigotry, no intolerance. Jesus proposes the choice of the kingdom of God, the choice of love; he does not impose anything.
So, what did the people understand about Jesus? They understood him as a purifier of the religiosity of the people of Israel and, therefore, one who was to restore loyalty to the Torah. They see him as a forerunner of the Messiah. They do not understand his identity. During the Passover supper, a mother, holding a candle in the silence of the room and carrying a small child by the hand, goes to the door and begins to scan the sky to hear if, by any chance, there is some breath of wind because it might be Elijah coming. If Elijah comes, then the Messiah also comes. So, Elijah is the forerunner.
The Israelites do not yet see in Jesus his true messianic identity. They put in Jesus the hopes of a change, a purification, an improvement of the situation, but not a radically different novelty, an entirely new world; they did not understand.
And then, like the Baptist. The Baptist is very much like Elijah; we remember Gabriel saying to Zechariah: “He shall walk before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah.” An image unites the Baptist and Elijah of the justifying God who cleanses. Jesus is similar in this, but with a clean sweep that does not destroy the enemies of God, as Elijah had done, but destroys the sin, the tares, and the weeds within the heart of every person. His Spirit does not destroy people; it destroys evil.
Let's ask ourselves how people see Jesus today and what they expect from Jesus. I think most of them, even today, look to him as someone who can solve their problems, which are the world's problems; they look to him to solve their difficulties. Perhaps this is caused by a preaching that is like that of the apostles because if the people have not accepted the true identity of Jesus, it is because the apostles themselves had not understood it. With their preaching, they gave rise to this vision of Jesus.
Even today, many people have not accepted the true identity of Jesus. Not only the multitudes but also the disciples. Many Christians are people who only accompany Jesus, who participate in the feasts and the liturgies, but to be a disciple is a choice; it is a response to a call, which is highly demanding. People must take a good look at the identity of the Master because Jesus does not want to deceive anyone; he wants everyone to understand who he is and what it means to follow him.
Even today, many Christians follow Jesus but are not yet true disciples. Jesus asks the apostles, “Who do the crowds say I am?” And Peter answers, "The Messiah of God." Immediately afterward, Jesus will say, 'Tell no one.' For what reason? Because Peter says: "You are the Messiah of God." That's a good start compared to those who imagined him as a forerunner.
Peter says, 'Messiah of God,' but it is the messiah he has in mind, what he has learned. Why do the Israelites wait for the Messiah? Because he would bring the kingdom of Israel over the whole world. In the Talmud, it is said that every Israelite will have a host of servants taken from the pagans. This is the messiah that Peter has in mind: a messiah who will rule over all humankind, and they will also participate in the earthly glory of this messiah. Peter has this messiah in mind.
What does Jesus do? He begins to rebuke him severely and commands them not to tell anyone about this. It is important the verb that is used to say: 'command them sternly' is ἐπιτιμήσας - epitimesas which is the verb that is used when Jesus casts out demons. He rebukes them; he casts them out of the people. If this verb is used, it means that, in Peter, who has affirmed the identity of Jesus, he has in mind, 'You are the Messiah,' means that in Peter, there is some demon that must be cast out to purify this messiah image within his heart.
It is as if the Evil One possesses Peter because Jesus rebukes him severely. He must purify him of that sinister element that is within him because the image of the dominating messiah is diabolic, precisely the same proposal that the Evil One also made to Jesus and that he rejected. This is not the Messiah of God. It is exactly the opposite; not a little different, it is the opposite. Not the dominator but the servant, and that's why Peter has made a mistake in saying to Jesus: 'You are the Messiah of God.'
The words are correct, but he must not tell anyone what he has in his mind because he would mislead the people, and people would follow the wrong messiah. On this, we should reflect because preachers should not preach a messiah that people like; they must announce the true identity of Jesus of Nazareth. Then, they can decide whether to accept him, but they must not present a messiah that people will be enthusiastic about. It must be the true Messiah.
Jesus is very keen to make this very clear; he is not going to occupy power, but he is going to give his life. After severely rebuking Peter, he presents his identity: "The Son of Man." This is an expression we may not have given importance to, but it appears about ninety times in the gospels and practically only in the gospels.
What does this expression that is always in Jesus' mouth mean? When Jesus introduces himself, he introduces himself as the Son of Man. Who is this Son of Man? It can have several meanings, but in this context, it has only one: Son of Man means 'man' = 'ben adam' = 'baremosh' in Aramaic, it means the man. Jesus presents himself as the Man, the authentic one, not the one who is still a beast, the one who is still inhuman, who lacks the characteristics of being a real person, a true man, 'Son of Man.' Jesus will be condemned not because he was a shepherd, messiah, and savior. He will be convicted because he has presented himself as the 'Son of Man,' as the real man.
The true man annoys the inhuman one, who belongs to a realm that is not that of the real man. What is this real man like, the man after God's own heart? He must suffer much; it is necessary; he will meet with great suffering because he will have opposition and be surrounded by those who are not men, by an inhuman world that is selfish, composed of beasts and wolves. The Son of Man, the true man, will have to suffer much. He comes as a lamb amid wolves, amid beasts, and he will necessarily meet with opposition; he will have to suffer; the elders, the high priests, and the scribes will reject him.
Who are these characters? They are the Sanhedrin, the traditional sclerotized mentality, the economic aristocracy, and, therefore, the power of money, rejected by the official theologians – by those who want to perpetuate the old world. They are the powers of this world. With these powers dominating the Son of Man, the true man will come into conflict and be killed. This whole religious institution is the enemy of God's plan. A God of gratuitous love, a Son of God who loves as the heavenly Father loves, is rejected by this religious institution. The powers of this world unite to prevent the birth of the Son of God, of a new man, not the old man.
"On the third day, be raised.” The number three indicates completeness, that which is final. At the end of life, it will be seen who a man is, and who is not a man, who is still a beast, and who is still a beast is inhuman. Those who live as the Son of Man proposed by Jesus suffer greatly. Jesus' identity must have shocked Peter and the other disciples, who were expecting a different messiah. But Jesus now goes on to propose to the disciple to be like the Son of Man: One can either adhere to or reject this proposal of man that Jesus makes.
“If anyone wishes to come after me.” Now, Jesus reveals to us what kind of man he wants us to be. It is a proposal he makes; he does not impose anything; he does not commit any violence; he does not become an aggressor. He proposes that man can either continue to tune his life to the old man, to the rulers of this world, or choose the man he has presented.
There are radical demands that we must have the courage as preachers to present to the Christians of today, who perhaps delude themselves that they are disciples. As I have said before, some people walk with Jesus and accompany him but do not put their lives entirely on the line of Jesus' proposal.
What does Jesus ask? Here are the demands: First, to deny oneself. To become genuinely man, one must forget oneself; one must ultimately become a gift of love for the life of his brothers and sisters. This is the first requirement, which does not mean renouncing one's humanity; it is precisely the opposite; it is not that we have to offer in our life because the more we suffer, the better; no. To deny oneself is the condition to be a true man; otherwise, we remain prehuman. If we think of ourselves and try to hoard goods for ourselves, we are not real people. The true man is what Jesus proposes to us, the one who forgets himself and becomes a gift of love. This is the man; this is a beautiful life; this is the beauty of one's own life.
Therefore, Jesus proposes us to be authentic and beautiful people. We want to stand out; we want to be great; we want to leave a sign of our passage in this world; we want to be admired for our beauty. Jesus teaches us how to be lovely people. How do you achieve all this? By renouncing the criteria of this world, which are violence, falsehood, and the pursuit of selfish pleasure, all these options dehumanize us.
Then, "Take up your cross daily and follow me." What does it mean to take up the cross? Let us first say what it does not mean to carry the cross. This invitation appears five times in the New Testament and has been misinterpreted. In everyday language, we hear that everyone has his cross to bear, or worse, 'this is the cross which the Lord has sent you, or that the Lord has sent me.' This presents us with a distorted image of God. God does not send any cross; the sufferings and pains of life, sicknesses, disappointments, abandonment, loneliness, and failures do not come from God; they belong to our human condition. It is not God who sends them; this is not the cross that Jesus speaks to us about, the one we must carry.
Therefore, the first thing to do is cancel this image of God sending crosses. No. Life's difficulties are the ones we encounter, which are different according to our condition. What cross is Jesus talking about? What is the cross to be carried? The cross was the punishment imposed at the time of Jesus to those who challenged the established order. But the established order was that of the ancient world, the order of dominion, of the strong over the weak, of the powerful over the subjects; it was a form that legalized injustice. Remember that in the Roman Empire, at least one-third of the inhabitants were slaves. In Pergamum, half of the inhabitants were slaves. This legalized order is cast out, and whoever casts out this cruel world goes to meet the cross. The crucified were those who challenged the established order.
Jesus says: "Deny yourself, carry your cross every day, and follow me." In other words, dare to make the choice I have made to bring the world into an alternative reality to the world of sin and unrighteousness. Jesus proposes sharing goods, while the world proposes accumulation and selfish enrichment. Jesus proposes service, while the world proposes domination.
To 'take up the cross' means to decide to question the old world and to build an entirely new world, to risk one's life to create a new world, a world of love, a world of peace. This cross is the suffering that comes from the weariness of being faithful disciples of Jesus every day in following the Master, of those who risk everything to be faithful to the logic of the Gospel.
It is the weariness of being a Christian; this cross is not the headache or the pains that come from the aches and pains of old age but the fatigue of remaining faithful to the choice of uniting one's life to Christ, faithful to the authentic eucharist. This cross is also the cross of those who are isolated from others. We see it in Jesus when he has the cross on his shoulders, and he is all alone (Luke will present those women who weep on the way to Calvary), but it is the loneliness of those who have set themselves against the ancient world.
Jesus continues: "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” This builds an authentic life. For Jesus to give is not to lose but to fulfill oneself, which is life's true success; the rest is a disaster. A life not given is disastrous and unsuccessful; in the end, you are left with nothing because the only thing that remains is the love you have shared. So, we understand that the one who is afraid of death is afraid to give all of himself because he fears that if he does not keep the things of this world for himself, he will fail. Whoever is worried about providing for himself cannot be a Christian because Jesus asks us to give one's life.
The passage of today's Gospel is very shocking if we take it seriously because puts in crisis our very condition of faithful disciples when perhaps we have not yet dared to put our life at stake with the proposal of man that Jesus makes to us.
I wish you all a good Sunday and a good week.
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