XII Sunday in OT: [C]: Zech 12:10-11; Gal 3:23-29; Lk9:18-22

XII Sunday in OT: [C]: Zech 12:10-11; Gal 3:23-29; Lk9:18-22

 

Introduction:   Jesus asks his disciples what the crowds were saying about him.  Then he asked his disciples, “But who do you say I am?”  Peter replies, “The Christ of God.”  Thereupon Jesus says, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly ….be killed and on the third day be raised.”  Then Jesus says that anyone who wishes to follow him as a disciple must also be ready to give up his life for his sake.

 

Peter, speaking for disciples and also for himself, rightly confesses his faith in Jesus as the long expected Messiah.  When Jesus reveals to him and the disciples the implications of his being Messiah, they begin to draw back.  By confessing Jesus as the Messiah the disciples show that they have gone above the level of “people” who take Jesus to be nothing more than a prophet.  Jesus then proceeds to tell them the implications of what they had just said: “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” (Luke 9:22)

 

Exegesis:  Jesus’ questions are the same, and the question pertaining to are also the same.  The opinions on the issue may be different.  The opinions of the people who are following Jesus at a distance and the disciples who follow close to Jesus are different.  Following Jesus closely gets the correct knowledge about Jesus.  One can achieve that by reading books, listening to the radio, watching the television and surfing the Internet.  Over and above that, disciples must then, in light of Christian faith and revelation, make up their minds on the issue.

 

As the disciples are expected to know the people, Christians are expected to know the voice of the people.  But they must not allow themselves to internalize the voice of the “people” such that the voice of the “people” becomes the voice of their conscience.  This is what Paul is telling us in Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – What is good and acceptable and perfect.”

 

Joke:  After Sunday school one morning, one of the parents invited the teacher over for dinner along with several other families from the church.  At the table, she asked her six-year-old daughter to say the blessing for the meal.

“I don’t know what to say,” she replied.

“Just say what you hear Mommy say,” her mother said.

The little girl bowed her head and said, “Dear Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?”

 

Jesus identifies himself as the Son of Man.  Jesus is the Human created in the divine image as the beginning of a New Genesis.  In the gospel narratives we now are able to see in Jesus what authentic human existence looks like.  Jesus faithfully lives in a relation of covenant love as Son with his Heavenly Father.  He overcomes every temptation.  He acts in complete union with the Father’s love for all of the human family, estranged in exile.

 

Practical Applications: 1) Know the sheep so that shepherding will be easy.  Know the people around us so that Christians can reach out and live a godly life in this world.

2) Thirst for divine information through available means around us.

3) Understand that the Christian life is taking up the cross for others.

 

Introduction:  XII Sunday in Ordinary Time

Message: We believe the prophecy of Zechariah to be fulfilled in Jesus, the Messiah, who had to endure suffering and death on a cross.  By being baptized into his death, we are called to take up his cross and follow in his steps, and to seek the God for whom we long.

Saints and Events in this week: 24-Monday-The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist.  27-Thursday-Saint Cyril ofAlexandria, bishop, doctor of the church.  28-Friday-Saint Irenaeus, bishop, martyr.  29-Saturday-Saint Peter and Paul, Apostles