It’s not rare that ambitious politicians liken themselves to great leaders of the past, mainly by evoking their legacy; occasionally, they even try to look like their political idols. There’s also a reverse version of such a connection when politicians are likened to some infamous characters from the past, like the murderous German or Soviet Union leaders of the World War II era. In both cases, complimentary or derogatory, those past characters are reduced to one-dimensional, cartoonish representations that don’t do justice to their individual complexities or those of the times in which they operated. Something similar happened in today’s gospel reading when Jesus asked his disciples what the public thought of him. In response, “they told him: ‘John the Baptist, […] others Elijah; others again, one of the prophets.’” Such labelling evokes specific simplistic images, but their interpretation is, in fact, in the listener’s mind and can be the polar opposite of the intentions of those who use them. Take, for example, the late Margaret Thatcher. Decades after her premiership, she remains a highly divisive figure: a great political leader to some and a hateful one to others. Consequently, those who evoke her legacy can boost their popularity with some voters and completely alienate others.
Jesus inquired of his disciples in the febrile, religiously charged political atmosphere of early 1st-century Palestine, where various characters either claimed to be someone special or were perceived as such by certain sections of society. The latter applied to Jesus as many tried to discover who He was and what His goals were. Indeed, both his followers and opponents considered Jesus a person hard to ignore, an upstart leader to the former and a dangerous individual to the latter, the elites. Jesus knew that any misinterpretation would jeopardise His mission. He was particularly concerned with his followers and their misplaced hopes and expectations. So, when Peter boldly replied to Jesus: “You are the Christ [the Messiah]”, the danger of misinterpretation was huge. In the mind of many of His contemporary Jews, the term was reduced to that of a one-dimensional, cartoonish, religiously motivated political leader of the upcoming uprising against a range of enemies, from the Imperial occupiers to the apocalyptic battle of good and evil, and everything in between. Such concerns were well-justified. There had been eruptions of violence before Jesus’ ministry, led by various characters, as testified in the Acts of the Apostles (5:36-37). The tensions continued up to the year 66 AD when a Jewish uprising eventually led to “the destruction of Jewish towns, the displacement of its people and the appropriation of land for Roman military use, as well as the destruction of the Jewish Temple and polity.”
When Peter boldly called Jesus “the Messiah”, he instantly “gave them strict orders not to tell anyone about him,” followed by an explanation of how to interpret His role and mission: “The Son of Man was destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and to be put to death, and after three days to rise again.” It was such a polar opposite of the disciples’ expectations that Peter brazenly “started to remonstrate with him” only to be decisively and harshly put in place: “Get behind me, Satan!” Jesus then explained the reason for such a sharp putdown: “Because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.”
Jesus then presented His vision of discipleship: “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me.” It’s quite a poetic sentence, but it appears rather vague when you look at it more closely. What does all this mean in practical terms? How are we supposed to apply it to our lives? The vagueness of this sentence was deliberate. It set the principles that should determine and shape our choices and decisions as we engage our minds. Note how Jesus rebuked Peter, “the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.” Thinking is crucial to living out our faith. One person’s practical application of the principles might not work for others because their lives and challenges differ. For example, as a young man, I was fascinated by St Francis of Assisi. Determined to follow his example, I was an all-year-round sandals-wearer over the seminary years. Admirable perhaps, but rather a pointless parroting of the least important aspect of St Francis’ legacy. Our lives, circumstances, outward and inward challenges, abilities and limitations all differ. Each one of us must find our own way through life while applying the principles of discipleship to our choices and decisions. In order to do so effectively, we need to understand their meaning.
“If anyone wants to be a follower of mine.” Firstly, these principles are not to be practised for their own sake but used as tools to become Jesus’ reflection in the world. The first rule, “let him renounce himself,” means active and continuous rejection of my selfishness as the driving force in my life, replacing it with selflessness. The second principle, “take up his cross,” means positive acceptance of impossible-to-change limitations, internal and external, and even turning them into a force for good. It requires discernment to discover what can and cannot be changed. For example, I get mildly frustrated when I hit door frames with my head, but trying to change my height would be pointless. Instead, I can help fellow shoppers in the supermarket to get things from the highest shelf if they are brave enough to ask. Jesus’ third and last principle, “follow me,” seems to be the most nebulous. It can be translated into the often mercilessly mocked phrase: “What would Jesus do?” A constant prayerful dialogue with Him is required to make this work. The conclusion of Jesus’ teaching appeared truly unappealing: “Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.” It’s a paradox of the Gospel that the more we lose in the name of love, the more we get. St Paul got it right, “remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35)
