22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel Reflection

Matthew 16:21-27

In last Sunday’s Gospel, we heard Jesus praising Simon’s faith and emphasizing his special role, the very reason why, already well before, he had given the apostle a new name - Peter, the Rock. Now Matthew recounts, in the very next verses of his Gospel, how Jesus rebuked this same man, shortly afterward, calling him Satan! The two incidents, side by side, make clear that Simon was, after all, no extraordinary individual. Instead, he was a man who had received a calling and a great grace of God. He received this role and this grace not because he was exceptional, but because he was loved by God, and because we are all loved by God. For this reason God became man, became a man called Jesus   (a name which means “God Saves”). Peter had acknowledged who Jesus was - the Son of God- on account of a special grace of the Holy Spirit. But when he became unsettled on hearing Our Lord speaking about future opposition, suffering and death, he reacted with a purely human outlook. We probably would have done the same. Jesus’ reaction was forceful and seemingly harsh. “Get behind me, Satan!”. Jesus had a clear priority that guided all his choices - it was to do the will of his Father, which is the salvation of all mankind. Peter’s concern on that occasion was to hold on to a certain human expectation - namely that Jesus would gain the favour of the majority, that Jesus would rule Israel. Satan had proposed to Christ something even greater, to rule all the kingdoms of the earth, while sacrificing the truth, and thereby forfeiting the salvation of men and women. Peter’s desire was, from Our Lord’s point of view, a pale repetition of this proposition, even if the apostle himself had no intention of cooperating with Satan. Jesus knew that he must embrace the Cross to free us from the love of false idols and reveal to us the love of the Father, his justice and his mercy. In any event, what Jesus told Peter in that moment was not an act of condemnation of the apostle he so loved, but a reaffirmation of his will to save. The momentary rebuke would have been a further deepening of Peter’s understanding of who Jesus was and what he was about.

The lesson for us is the one that follows – “For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it, but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.” This lesson may be hard for us to understand, yet it is constantly being proven to be true in the lives of so many. Those who persistently seek their own advantage over all other considerations tend towards a hollow existence and in the end reveal their own dissatisfaction and unhappiness. Those who generously continue to give of themselves, often putting aside what is more comfortable, pleasurable, or self-affirming while seeking the well-being of others and the glory of God find meaning in life and end their days in peace and joy. What is more, heaven awaits them since to greater or lesser extent, they have, with the help of God’s grace, become like Christ, and therefore, like God.

Are we excessively self-seeking in our daily thoughts and activity? Do we take a real interest in the people we work with, and meet up with socially? How much do I pray for the persons in my immediate family and even for persons I may not particularly like? Do I show a spirit of sacrifice when it comes to doing my work – job, home related tasks- properly and consistently? Do I ask God to help me overcome my laziness, attachment to material things, distractions and pride in order to be a person easier to live with or get along with? Am I wasting time living in a world of my own imagination or absorption in what is trivial or even morally harmful. Do I react to such dangers as Our Lord would want me to, saying with my whole heart and mind: “Get behind me, Satan!”