Jesus loved being with His disciples. He was always teaching them and pursuing an overall goal of preparing them to live in union with Him. In the passage we willingly hear and pray this weekend, we find the Master Teacher accomplishing a "breakthrough moment" with the disciples. While it is of interest to do a poll of what other people might think of Him, what really matters to the Teacher is what these closest followers think. They will be the ones to transmit his life-changing, world-changing teachings to the rest of the people — if they themselves get it right. Peter, in this passage gets it right. Jesus, for reasons deeper than this one of teaching, tells them not to tell anyone the correct answer Peter gave. Paraphrasing Him we might hear: "Yes, I am the Christ. Now hold that thought."
The success of the Teacher opens the way for Him to push for more, to move to more advanced topics, so to speak. If He is the Christ and they are His followers they will need to know some important things. If they are already following Him they will need to know where the road He walks will lead.
The next lesson is taught: The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.
In terms of lessons to teach, that one is among the most important ones ever. It is about what will happen to Him but they most certainly began to "do the math" regarding themselves. We know from other instances in the Gospels that the disciples did not like to hear about the way He would be treated. We also know that they did not know how to make sense of what it might mean to be raised after He is killed. Nonetheless, the Master Teacher is teaching them. Listen to His words. Think about them. Try to apply them. The Disciples' Class requires that. The Master requires it. In this case the obvious lesson is that the breakthrough of recognizing that He is the Christ comes with demands. If He is the one sent by God and if He is God, then any follower of His is involved in big things. "Hold that thought" means to hold on to it and to be ready to add to it. The quiz material (so far) concerns who Jesus is and what will become of Him. Even so, the brightest ones in the class could tell that they were on the same path. Suffering, rejection, death — and being raised up?
The Master lived an impressive life. The disciples were constantly observing the things He did, His disciplined life of prayer, His spontaneous way of interacting, His impressive miracles and, of course, His compelling teachings. The connection he makes next in the "breakthrough class" is one that connects His way of living (and, hopefully someday, theirs) with the prediction He has just given them about the saving events to come.
Class continues: If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
The ideas He expresses here are realities they had seen Him live. His regular way of life included self-denial. This invitation to imitate Him was inspiring to hear, although for some it was, no doubt, intimidating too. Now, they had a clear reason to find it within themselves to live as He lived. In a way, He was offering them a beginning course in the Way of the Cross or His way. Imagine the generosity they began to show in their new efforts to forget their own preferences and to lose their lives for His sake. Imagine in prayer the freedom that we can find if we learn the lessons of what to do once we recognize who He is. Did the sacrifices they made at His invitation make more sense when they saw Him carry the Cross? If not, maybe it was because they had not yet seen Him rise. What might our excuse be, knowing, as we do, the whole story? Hold that thought.
Fr. Zuberbueler is pastor of St. Louis Church in Alexandria.
http://www.theworkofgod.org/Devotns/Euchrist/HolyMass/gospels.asp?key=73
Year C - 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
You don’t know of what spirit you are.
Luke 9:51-62
51 And it came to pass that when the days were approaching for him to be taken up to heaven, he steadfastly took the road for Jerusalem.
52 And he sent messengers before him; and going, they entered into a city of the Samaritans, to prepare for him.
53 And they did not receive him, because his face was of one going to Jerusalem.
54 And when his disciples James and John had seen this, they said: Lord, is it all right with you that we command fire to come down from heaven to consume them?
55 And turning, he rebuked them, saying: You don’t know of what spirit you are.
56 The Son of man came not to destroy souls, but to save. And they went into another town.
57 And it came to pass, as they walked in the way, that a certain man said to him: I will follow you wherever you go.
58 Jesus said to him: The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.
59 But he said to another: Follow me. And he said: Lord, suffer me first to go, and to bury my father.
60 And Jesus said to him: Let the dead bury their dead: but you go, and preach the kingdom of God.
61 And another said: I will follow you, Lord; but let me first take my leave of them that are at my house.
62 Jesus said to him: No man putting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God
Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Great is the power of God and greatly blessed are those who have received it. Moses commanded the sea to open and it obeyed, the prophet Elijah commanded the heavens to pour down rain and they obeyed.
The power of God was always in me, the Son of the Living God, a power that cannot be put in the wrong hands. My power is the power of my Word, it is absolute power that has created everything that has come into existence.
However I did not come into the world to show off my power or to exalt myself with it. I came with a different purpose; I used my power to save the world by denying my self, by taking up my cross and by sacrificing myself.
The power exercised in performing my miracles was the power of God giving testimony of my coming into the world.
I granted my apostles and all those who believe in me a share of my power so that they would be able to heal the sick and to cast out demons. There was a moment when the Apostles were tempted to misuse that power in a moment of pride. I showed them how the spirit of God uses His power not to destroy but to build, not to condemn but to save, not to exalt but to humble.
As children of God, you would all have the same powers that I had here on earth, but because of the pride in your hearts, those great gifts have to be suppressed for now.
The power of God is at home in the hearts of the humble. It is the great power of faith that is given to those who put all their trust in God. It pierces through the heavens and comes straight to my throne; it always receives when it asks. Nothing pleases me more than to answer the petitions of the humble.
Humility is the great lesson that I taught the world. I said, learn from me because I am meek and humble of heart. I tell you now, come to me and become like me so that you benefit from my power that makes you sons and daughters of the Most High.
I explained how the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head. I was saying, here is your King, the Almighty God who having everything has reduced himself to nothing in order to teach you that humility is the way to go, because pride blinds the soul and leads you to sin.
He who desires me must follow me, He who follows me will become like me, but the price he has to pay is detachment from the world and from his self-love.
Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary