Breaking the Word

He said, "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." Then he said to all, "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. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?  (Lk 9:22-25)

The son of Man and the life that he would be facing on this earth is given in today’s reading. He would face suffering, rejection and be killed. This is not the thing that anyone would want to live. Jesus is aware of what his life would be and he is also ready to go through. He is also aware that he would be raised on the third day. Suffering, rejection and death are from the hands of the elders, scribes and the chief priests. Resurrection is from the hand of God.

Jesus also speaks about the lives of his followers. The followers must be ready to deny themselves, take up the cross and follow him. There is no half measure in following Jesus. The follower should deny himself completely. He should have no identity of his own in a sense. It could be said that one’s vocation (following) is his identity. The follower also should be aware that his journey is to Jerusalem and that too, to mount Calvary.

In the kingdom or in following Jesus there is no gaining of life on this earth. Life has to be lost. Life and the world have to be lost for the sake of Christ. There are people who lose it for various reasons. Every losing is not a gain.  But losing it for the sake of Christ is the gain.   

"(But) take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you. (Mt 6:1-6,16-18)

Jesus is talking about performing righteous deeds. Here he talks about three of them: almsgiving, prayer and fasting. Jews believed that doing the righteous deeds were sufficient enough to be a good person or a righteous person. Jesus moved behind this to the intention of the doer.  Good deeds should have the right intentions as well.  If the intentions are selfish and for self glory then whatever be the deed, it will not be considered as righteous.

Righteous deed should have only one source and should have only one end: God. Righteous deeds should be done for the glory of God and the reward for the same should be from God. Like the intention of a righteous deed so also the source of the righteous deed and goal of it. Primacy of God and the ultimate goal is God, are the two essential principles that should guide the people who want to be righteous.

Any action that is done for the eye of the people or any action that is done for the glory of the self, or any action that is done for the visibility of the others is not a righteous action.  Every righteous action should be avoided with the following: knowledge (right hand should not know what the left hand is doing), visibility (it should be performed in secret – in the inner room where door is shut), open (Father who sees what is hidden). Any action that is for knowledge, visibility and open, is for performance and applause.