Our Venerable Mother Macrina, Sister of Saint Basil the Great (379); Our Venerable Father Dios (c. 431).
1 Corinthians 10:12-22; Matthew 16:20-24.
Read Matthew 16:20-24
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Earlier in this same chapter in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus asked His disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” (Mt. 16:15), and Peter answered Him, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16:16).
Today’s reading immediately follows Peter’s profession of Who Jesus is. Jesus commands His disciples not to tell anyone that He is the Christ, and then He explains that “He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day” (Mt. 16:21). In response to this revelation, Peter takes Jesus aside and rebukes Him saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” (Mt. 16:22). Whereas a few verses ago Jesus tells Peter, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah…” (Mt. 16:17), now He tells him, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Mt. 16:23). The idea of the promised Messiah suffering and dying was outrageous to Peter and to many other Jews. Even Paul comments on this fact: “but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness” (1 Cor. 1:23).
In our own lives, we struggle to accept misfortunes and suffering when they happen to us and to those whom we love. Peter did not want to accept the news of his Master’s impending suffering and death, perhaps thinking that God would have a more pleasant plan in mind to shower the Messiah with earthly power and prosperity. Jesus condemns Peter’s remark as the words of Satan, offering a temptation to value earthly concerns more than spiritual ones and put one’s own will before God’s.
God not only became man and willingly suffered, but while enduring incredible suffering, Jesus never sinned. In our woundedness and suffering, how often do we turn to our sins for comfort? How often do we feel entitled to commit sins, falsely thinking that they will help relieve our present sufferings? All our sins harm us as well as our relationships with God and others. Let us trust in God and ask for the grace to respond to suffering with love as Jesus did. Let us carry our cross and follow after Jesus.