24 B Q 24
St Peter’s protest to Our Lord when he began to teach the disciples of his approaching passion is echoed in St John’s gospel at the conclusion of Jesus’ ministry: We have heard from the law that the Christ abides for ever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? At last the people began to ask the right questions, but they did not come to the light, they did not commit themselves by faith. There were those who believed but did not confess Jesus because they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Jesus himself walked in the light. His food was to do the will of his Father. He had submitted from his earliest years to Mary and Joseph, and continued in that submission all through his youth. He learned obedience through what he suffered, and having attained perfect freedom he was able to proclaim: The Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it again. No-one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.
Christ has made us free: this is one of the great endowments that make us like God. We are made free because we have received the Spirit of adoption of the children of God. God grants us the grace to respond to his call. He never compels but only invites. While the commandments remain as the bottom line for our conduct we are invited to exercise our freedom by taking up the cross to follow our Master. Where the courageous Shepherd goes before in freedom he invites the little flock to follow.
Our ability to make choices and assume responsibility for our actions are indications that we are living as God’s children, seeking the will of our loving Father. We find our strength in prayer and submission. It is our joy to grow in likeness to God by this exercise of our adoption as God’s children. We are the clay, God is the potter. He stoops over us, tenderly forming us in the image of the Beloved Son through the inner action of the Holy Spirit.
When we consider the incompatibility of popular messianic expectations with the Father’s will, which Jesus perceived: that will which was his food, his consolation, we may appreciate the change of mindset which was required of the disciples. The journey from Caesarea Philippi to Tabor was an exceedingly arduous one for all the disciples as they came to terms with the prospect of Our Lord’s Passion and death. It was a far greater challenge than the gruelling ascent to Tabor for the three chosen apostles.
The challenge is already expressed in the first reading: we disciples have to have our ears opened and we are to set our faces as flint. We cannot be ashamed of the faith we profess. Our actions, our lives are to be conformed to Christ: one who wants to come after me is to deny himself: let him take up his cross and follow me. The Lord God is our helper.