Two meditations. May 25 (Thursday) Lectionary # 347 and May 21, Friday. Lectionary #301
Mark 10:28-31.
Our baptismal epistle continues giving us more of God's living revelation
about our salvation. The sacrament of Baptism and the preaching of the
Gospel are the graces we receive through our belief; these lead us through
life towards its ultimate goal which is our union with God and with one
another. The writer of the epistle goes under the name of Peter, the
foundation apostle for the Church. It is a clear revelatory essay that
refers to the prophetic announcement of salvation through the guidance of
the Spirit. We are reminded again of our salvation through the life,
death, and resurrection of Jesus signified and realized through our Baptism
in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit.
Peter is also the person who is asking a burning question of Jesus in
today's Markan narrative. It deals with the cost of discipleship which
makes such demands as total detachment from family, brothers and sisters,
mother and father, and children--which also means, as in the case of Peter,
detachment from his spouse! These are hard demands and sayings of Jesus
for becoming a follower of the Lord. Peter wants to know what is the real
meaning of this demand and whether it is worth following. Paradoxically,
Jesus answers by saying all of the above will come back a hundredfold to
the one who truly understands and commits self to following the Lord.
We see how demanding that call is not only for Peter and the other
disciples of Jesus but for ourselves. Can we really make such a commitment?
How are we to understand these words of Jesus which cut through our very
being as humans? We are told that God is not outdone in generosity and
that the burden of following the Lord is not heavy. We are confused by the
differences we hear and then the reply of Jesus that all will come back to
us in a hundredfold. Is this call to be taken literally as this text seems
to say? Or have we a spiritual message here that is emphatic, prophetic,
and transforming? Am I willing to accept such a call to discipleship? Do
I see this in Mark's Gospel as the call to follow Jesus to the Cross? It
is named by spiritual writers as the Gospel of the Cross. And am I willing
to make such a leap of faith in following the Lord Jesus?
The passage is seen within the context of the man who could not follow
Jesus because of his possessions and is followed immediately by the third
prediction of the death of Jesus. This helps us to pray and meditate on
the deepest meaning of the text. Here is what the commentator in the New
Jerome Biblical Commentary says about the verses: "Peter as spokesman for
the disciples juxtaposes their actions to the missed opportunity of the
rich man (Mark 10:17-22). Jesus promises rewards not only in the eschaton
(the endtime)but also in the present, when a disciple can enjoy a rich
social and religious fellowship. ...the saying is encouragement to
disciples about the reality of the "great reversal." The rewards of
discipleship surpass the sacrifices now and in the future." The fact that
there was no monasticism nor religious vowed commitment to Jesus makes the
statement even more perplexing. Amen.
Scripture: May 21. Lectionary # 301. Acts 25:13-21. Psalm
103:1-2,11-12,19-20. John 21:15-19.
Peter is always listed at the top four, the "final four", in the Synoptic
Gospels. Usually, Peter is first in the Synoptics, and second in St.
John's Gospel where he is invited by his brother Andrew to search out who
Jesus really is. But, let us say that Peter is among the first called and
maybe the very first to have followed the call of Jesus if we listen to the
Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke. John is always different even in his
approach to discipleship. The ones who come to Jesus first were probably
disciples of John the Baptist who e is humble enough even to let his pet
pupils go to follow someone who is in God's design greater than he even
though we learn from Jesus himself that among those born of women, John the
Baptist is the greatest! Peter does listen and follows the first ones
called by Jesus. This is the beginning of his life as an apostle closely
linked to the mysteries that will unfold in his master's life. We will
continue to learn more and more about him as the Gospels and Acts unravel
his character for us. He is one of the main persons in the Gospels after
Jesus.
Then we come to the end of his journey with Jesus in his life. Peter is
concerned about what he hears about the Beloved Disciple. Will he remain
on and not die? Jesus answers that question with a rather strong statement
that says, "It is none of your business if I want him to remain." Peter
may have envied the younger one who outraced him to the tomb and who rested
upon the chest of Jesus at the Passover supper. Peter knows that Jesus
has raised Lazarus from the dead and that Jesus himself is now alive in a
new inexplicable way after his resurrection. It is the same Jesus who makes
the same strong statements and asks the hard questions just as he did
before his death. Peter surmises that it is possible then for the Beloved
Disciple to live on and on. With God all things are possible. Jesus
however speaks very clearly about Peter's death which will be similar to
that of his master. Peter has repented and now has expressed his love for
Jesus no matter what happens to him or the Beloved Disciple. But isn't it
interesting to find out that Jesus' very last words to Peter are "Follow
me!" He did and is now forevermore in our memory and our hearts. He has
attained what T.S.says so well in his Four Quartets, Little Gilding, IV: We
shall not cease from exploration and the end of all of our exploring will
be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."
Amen.
posted by Fr. Bert SM at 2:55 PM
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