HOMILY FOR 24th SUNDAY IN OT--B

TODAY’S GOSPEL PRESENTS US WITH AN ODD SITUATION: PETER, JESUS’ HIS BEST FRIEND AND A GUY WHO HAD JUST IDENTIFIED HIM AS THE “CHRIST”, THE ANOINTED ONE OF GOD, WAS JUST TRYING TO GIVE JESUS A BIT OF FRIENDLY ADVICE ABOUT WHAT THE MESSIAH JOB IS ALL ABOUT.  JESUS TELLS THIS MAN, HIS BEST FRIEND, TOP DISCIPLE AND SO FORTH TO SHUT UP BECAUSE HE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT.

 “RETRO VADE SATANAS, GET BEHIND ME SATAN”.  YOU DON’T CALL YOUR BEST FRIEND NAMES, MUCH LESS SATAN, UNLESS IT’S A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION.  YOU CAN HEAR JESUS’ SHARP TONE IN YOUR MIND.  TODAY, HE WOULD HAVE SAID “WOULD YOU PLEASE SHUT UP!  YOU DON’T HAVE THE FAINTEST CLUE AS TO WHAT’S GOING ON!” WHAT’S THE KEY HERE, WHAT IS REALLY IS GOING ON AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR US?

THINK OF OUR OWN EXPERIENCE.  WHEN ARE WE REALLY SHARP WITH SOMEONE WE LOVE?  WE GET SHARP WHENEVER WHATEVER IT IS THEY’VE SAID CUTS VERY CLOSE TO THE BONE.  WHEN THEY’VE PUT THEIR FINGER ON A PROBLEM WE ARE STRUGGLING TO DEAL WITH OR A FAULT WE KNOW WE HAVE.  WHAT WAS THE DEAL WITH JESUS?  HE WAS REVISITING THE TEMPTATIONS IN THE WILDERNESS.

HE KNOWS HE IS THE MESSIAH.  HE KNOWS WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY HE CAN LEAD INVINCIBLE ARMIES, CREATE A WORLDLY KINGDOM FOR HIMSELF, BE WEALTHY BEYOND IMAGINING.  HE IS THE MESSIAH, THE ANOINTED ONE OF GOD AND JESUS KNOWS WITH THAT POWER HE CAN DO ALL OF THAT.  FOR THE MESSIAH ALL THAT IS A PIECE OF CAKE.  ALEXANDER THE GREAT WOULD PALE IN COMPARISON.

BUT HE ALSO KNOWS THAT NOT ONLY IS HE THE MESSIAH, HE IS GOD’S CHOSEN, A MESSIAH ANOINTED NOT BY HUMANS BUT BY GOD, AND GOD DOES NOT THINK LIKE WE DO.  IS HE GOING TO GO SOLELY WITH THE MESSIAH PART OR IS HE GOING TO GO WITH THE MESSIAH ANOINTED BY GOD PART?  THAT’S HIS TEMPTATION.  THAT’S WHY HE SNAPPED.  HE WAS FIGHTING OFF SATAN’S TEMPTATION TO BE A  MESSIAH ORIENTED TO THE WORLD AND STRUGGLING TO STAY TRUE TO GOD AND BE A MESSIAH ORIENTED TO GOD.  PETER, IN ALL INNOCENCE, WAS SPOUTING THE SATANIC LINE ALL THE WHILE THINKING HE WAS DOING JESUS A FAVOR.

JESUS REALIZED, AS PETER DIDN’T, THAT GOD HAS DIFFERENT PRIORITIES THAN WE DO.  IN FACT, A LOT OF WHAT GOD DOES REALLY DOESN’T MAKE SENSE FROM WHERE WE STAND.  WHY PICK A SMALL GROUP OF SLAVES WHOSE ONLY KNOWN SKILL WAS MAKING BRICKS TO BE THE CHOSEN PEOPLE?  WHY NOT PICK THE SOPHISTICATED, CULTURED, SCIENTIFICALLY ADEPT, AND HIGHLY ORGANIZED EGYPTIANS.  MAYBE GOD COULD HAVE CHOSEN THE EGYPTIANS AS HIS PEOPLE AND TOLD THEM HOW TO GET MORE BRICKS OUT OF THE JEWS.  THAT’S WHAT ANYONE WITH AN OUNCE OF SENSE WOULD HAVE DONE, SO WHY DIDN’T HE?

THE ANSWER IS THAT THE JEWS HAD SOMETHING GOD VALUED.  THEY WERE MONOTHEISTS AND REALIZED THAT GOD ALONE WAS GOD.  GOD DID NOT VALUE WHAT THE EGYPTIANS HAD BUT VALUED WHAT THE JEWS HAD.  GOD’S INANITIES CONTINUE.  WHY GIVE HEAVEN TO THE MEEK RATHER THAN THE ASSERTIVE?  WHY LET YOUR SON BE KILLED?  WHY DO WE HAVE TO GIVE UP OUR LIFE TO GAIN IT?  HOW EXACTLY DOES THAT WORK?  WHY DO WE HAVE TO CARRY A CROSS TO BE REALLY HAPPY?  NONSENSE TO US.  THE DEEPEST WISDOM TO GOD.

THE KEY IS THIS:  WE THINK IN TERMS OF EARTH AND TIME; GOD THINKS IN TERMS OF HEAVEN AND ETERNITY.  PETER IS TRYING TO GET JESUS TO THINK IN TERMS OF EARTH.  WHILE HE REALLY IS TEMPTED, MAYBE AWFULLY SORELY TEMPTED ESPECIALLY KNOWING THE AGONY AND CRUCIFIXION THAT IS TO COME, JESUS WANTS TO THINK LIKE GOD THINKS.

GOD IS NOT PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH OUR MATERIAL WELL-BEING OR OUR SOPHISTICATION.  HE IS NOT CONCERNED IN MAKING SURE WE ARE AU COURANT WITH THE LATEST TREND.  I DON’T THINK HE CARES WHAT RING TONE WE’VE DOWNLOADED FOR OUR CELL PHONE, WHETHER IT IS BLUE-TOOTH ENABLED OR WHETHER WE’VE GOT 500 SONGS ON OUR IPOD.  HE IS INTERESTED, MORE THAN INTERESTED, HE IS OBSESSED WITH HAVING US WITH HIM IN HEAVEN FOR ALL ETERNITY.

NOW, IF THAT IS WHAT GOD IS INTERESTED IN, WE WOULD PROBABLY BE SMART TO BE INTERESTED IN THE SAME THING.  THE EARTH IS GOING TO BE A SMALL PART OF OUR LIFE.  THERE’S A WHOLE LOT YET TO COME AFTER WE DIE.

A GOOD AND PRUDENT EXERCISE WOULD BE TO TAKE AN INVENTORY OF OUR LIVES.  WHICH PLAYS THE DOMINANT ROLE IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES: THE WORLD OR HEAVEN?  HOW DOES THE TIME I SPEND IN PRAYER COMPARE TO THE TIME SPENT WATCHING PROJECT RUNWAY, THE GILMORE GIRLS OR THE NEWEST SURVIVOR SERIES?

THOSE ARE NOT BAD THINGS IN THEMSELVES BUT YOU GET THE IDEA.  WE SHOULD TAKE SOME TIME THIS WEEK AND EVALUATE OUR LIVES.  ARE WE FOCUSED ON WHAT THE WORLD THINKS IS IMPORTANT OR ARE WE FOCUSED ON WHAT GOD THINKS IS IMPORTANT?  AM I A FOCUSED ON MYSELF AND WHAT I CAN GET OR AM I A CHRISTIAN FOCUSED ON GOD AND WHAT I CAN GIVE UP TO GOD—NAMELY MY LIFE.