GOSPEL READING: Mt 16:21-27
Jesus presents himself as a model (he began to show his disciple). His life is a life spent for the others. This is lived by making a journey to Jerusalem and suffering greatly at the hand of the elders, chief priests, and the scribes. (These are the people who exercise power over people. They exercise power over religious beliefs, cultural beliefs, social beliefs). Jesus shows that he will stand against these powers and the powerful will destroy him but God will raise him up.
Peter presents himself as a representative of the people who want to live in this world and be in this world. This is the reason Jesus tells his disciples: “whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?”. People in the world want to hold on to life at any expense and want to possess the world by any means.
Jesus not only presents himself as a model but also demands from his followers the same way of life. He says: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me”. His disciples are asked to deny life (a life that is attached to earthly things), and pick up their crosses (their goals, mission and all the means attached in fulfilling this mission) and follow after him (every disciple of Jesus has his own Jerusalem to reach to and his own Calvary to climb up to).
வாழ்கை என்பது ஒரு பயணம். நம்பிக்கை உள்ளவனுக்கு அது எருசலேமை நோக்கிய பயணம். பயணம் ஒரு சிலுவைப் பயணம். துன்பங்கள் துயரங்கள் எதிர்ப்புகள் நிறைந்தது. புயணத்தின் நிறைவு சிலுவை மரணம். ஆனால் இறைவனால் உயிர்த்தெழப்படுவோம் என்பதுதான் நமது நம்பிக்கை. வாழ்கை பயணம் இறைவனில் நிறைவு பெறும்.
