Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B

The disciples believed in Jesus

# The Son of Man is an eschatological figure used in Judaic apocalyptic circles from the post-exilic period onwards. This expression appears in particular in the Book of Daniel. In the Gospels, it is the title most often used by Jesus when he speaks of himself.The expression itself is a literal translation of the Greek uios tou anthrôpou, a transfer of the Aramaic bar nasha, words used at the time of Jesus as a linguistic substitute for ‘human being’. The interpretations to which it has given rise in Christianity have shifted the initial meaning to the humanity of Jesus.

Its earliest attestation dates back to the seventh chapter of the Book of Daniel, dated to the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes, shortly before the Maccabean revolt (around 160 BC). There are more than eighty passages in the New Testament where Jesus of Nazareth calls himself ‘Son of Man’. The title he used most frequently when speaking of himself. He presented himself as the future eschatological judge. # Kenosis is a concept of Christian theology expressed by a Greek word, κένωσις, ‘action of emptying, of being stripped of everything’; the meaning of this concept in Christianity is illuminated by Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians (Phil 2, 6).

 This notion has given rise to numerous theological developments that place great emphasis on God’s abasement. Out of love, God strips himself of his other divine attributes, such as omnipotence, glory, impassibility, perfection, self-sufficiency and the Providence that governs the world.The theology of kenosis tackles the mystery of evil by affirming that it is first and foremost God who suffers and not man : ‘But no, God never allows evil, he suffers from it, he dies from it, he is first and foremost its victim’.

The theology of kenosis was formalised by the Church Fathers, and was part of the Christological debates of the early councils. Thus, kenosis does not affect Christ’s divine nature, but only his humanity. For Paul of Tarsus, the theology of kenosis affirms that the incarnation of the Word corresponds to a renunciation of the usual divine privileges: God is only Love and the attributes of God are only the attributes of Love. For Moltmann, a God who is only omnipotent is an imperfect being.

# The name ‘Satan’ first appears in the Hebrew Bible. For Daniel E. Gershenson, there is a strong possibility that the name ‘Satan’ comes from the Greek, and its etymology would be ‘he who dwells in the heavens’.In the Christian tradition, Satan is mentioned in the Book of Job and in the Gospels by Jesus, who calls him the ‘prince of this world’. He is identified with the leader of the fallen angels. This concept is based on biblical writings : the rebellious angel was fallen according to Isaiah and Ezekiel in the Old Testament and Peter and Jude in the New Testament.

According to the teaching of the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church, angels were all created by God to be good, but some became evil and turned against their creator.Since angels do not need faith, since they already have knowledge of all heavenly things, their rebellion against God constitutes an unforgivable act for those who say it, i.e. men (who write it), namely that to betray the Eternal is also to betray Time, it is a fatal fall, a fatal error.

Matthew described this rebellion as an unforgivable sin in this age or an age to come. Satan is also identified with the Serpent of Genesis Matthew called this rebellion an unforgivable sin in this or a future age. Satan is also identified with the Serpent of Genesis.

From the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Mark

At that time Jesus went away with his disciples to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. As he went, he asked his disciples : Who do people say that I am ? They answered him ; ‘John the Baptist ; to others, Elijah ; to others, a prophet.’Peter answered ; ‘You are the Christ.’ Then he strongly forbade them to speak of him to anyone. He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, that he must be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the scribes, that he must be killed, and that three days later he must rise again.

Jesus spoke these words openly. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him vehemently. But Jesus turned round and, seeing his disciples, shouted at Peter: ‘Get behind me, Satan! Your thoughts are not of God, but of men. Calling the crowd together with his disciples, he said tothem : ‘If anyone wishes to follow me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel will save it. (Mk 8, 27-35)

When the disciples believed in Jesus and confessed him to be the Christ, the Son of God, he was able to speak to them openly about it, and even did so, in order to dispel, if possible, any false Messianic ideas they still had, and to prepare them to share his humiliations and sorrows. Mark (Mk 8, 31) and Luke (Lk 9, 20-22) also relate this prediction directly to Peter’s confession. Mark added that he boldly spoke these words to them. It is when true faith is born that the Christian must expect contradiction and suffering. 

As for Jesus, it was necessary, he said. A mysterious necessity, founded on the decree of God’s justice and mercy, announced in the Scriptures. It had to be, unless the world was to perish in its sin   This is what God did not want, and Jesus accepts his Father’s will out of love : ‘And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life’. (Jn 3,14)

The Sanhedrin was made up of three classes of men: the elders, the chief priests and the scribes, or teachers of the law. There was something solemn about the way Jesus named them in detail and saw them conspiring against him to kill him.This was the tragic break between the theocracy and the Messiah and his reign ! After defeat, triumph ; after death, life ! If one of these predictions overwhelmed the disciples, the other was destined to lift them up.

But here the critics found a stumbling block, and it could not be denied that there was a difficulty.Unable to resolve the question, some questioned the prediction; others, Meyer for example, assumed that the prediction was vague and obscure.Didn’t the evangelists themselves give us the answer to the riddle ? Still full of their Jewish prejudice about a glorious Messiah, they understood absolutely nothing of this prediction of his suffering and un derstood nothing of it ; it was a hidden language to them, words whose meaning they did not grasp’. (Lk 18:34)

Peter’s example showed that he heard Jesus’ words better, but that he resolutely refused to enter into his thoughts. How could an event as extraordinary as the resurrection not have seemed incredible to them  ? And even if they had not been so lacking in understanding of this mystery, was there not an immense distance between understanding and believi                     n ? This reprehension that Peter allowed himself was undoubtedly intended to convince Jesus that he was destined for something other than such an end. There was love for Jesus in Peter’s emotion, but more ignorance, even when he invoked mercy on him.

The assurance with which Peter affirmed that this would not happen drew from him the stern words of Jesus : ‘Get away from me, Satan; you are a scandal to me, because you do not think the things that are of God, but the things that are of men.’  Jesus turned away indignantly. Satan means the adversary, the one who resist monly given to the devil and Jesus, by calling Peter this, wanted him to understand that he was at that moment doing the work of the tempter.

This was   proved by the scandal Jesus found in Peter’s words. Jesus needed all his holy resolution and all his strength to meet his suffering. Peter presented him with the same temptation as Satan in the desert, offering him the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ‘The devil again took him to a very high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and said to him, “All these things I will give you if you will bow down and worship me”’. (Mt 4,8-9)

Peter was not thinking of his great plans for the redemption of the world through the sufferings of the Mediator, but of the carnal ideas of a glorious Messiah. But these words, applicable at all times, have a much more general scope.   Who is he who presents himself to men as the supreme object of their love, to whom they must sacrifice everything, even their very lives. He who speaks like this is God, or else he blasphemes by putting himself in God’s place.

Deacon Michel Houyoux

Links to other Christian sites

◊ frcanicenjoku : click here to read the paper                                       → Homily for the 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B

◊Gabriel Mattix : click here to read the paper → Jesus Came to  Manifest His Glory

Video   Grace Chapel Indio : click here      →     https://youtu.be/bzwZTwpB61U

Mercredi de la vingt-troisième semaine du Temps Ordinaire – Année Paire

De l’Évangile de Jésus Christ selon Luc

En ce temps-là, Jésus, levant les yeux sur ses disciples, déclara : « Heureux, vous les pauvres, car le royaume de Dieu est à vous. Heureux, vous qui avez faim maintenant, car vous serez rassasiés. Heureux, vous qui pleurez maintenant, car vous rirez. Heureux êtes-vous quand les hommes vous haïssent et vous excluent, quand ils insultent et rejettent votre nom comme méprisable, à cause du Fils de l’homme. Ce jour-là, Réjouissez-vous, tressaillez de joie, car alors votre récompense est grande dans le ciel ; ’est ainsi, en effet, que leurs pères traitaient les prophètes.

Mais quel malheur pour vous, les riches, car vous avez votre consolation ! Quel malheur pour vous qui êtes repus maintenant, car vous aurez faim ! Quel malheur pour vous qui riez maintenant, car vous serez dans le deuil et vous pleurerez !  Quel malheur pour vous lorsque tous les hommes disent du bien de vous ! C’est ainsi, en effet, que leurs pères traitaient les faux prophètes. » (Lc 6, 20-26)

Le discours sur la montagne

Jésus proclama le bonheur de ceux que leur condition rendit propres à avoir part au royaume de Dieu, et le malheur de ceux qui en furent exclus par leurs dispositions.

La loi du royaume de Dieu

a) L’amour et ses diverses manifestations. La règle première, que Jésus énonça avant tout, ce fut la charité. Elle nous porte à aimer ceux qui nous haïssent, à supporter ceux qui nous maltraitent et nous dépouillent. Elle se résume dans ce précepte : faire aux autres ce que nous voudrions qui nous fût fait.

 b) L’amour opposé aux sentiments naturels. Jésus fit ressortir les caractères distinctifs de la charité en l’opposant aux sentiments naturels qui se bornent à rendre le bien pour le bien, tandis que la charité se montre absolument désintéressée.

c) Le but et le modèle de l’amour. Cette charité désintéressée a pour unique but Dieu, dont elle nous fait les fils en nous rendant miséricordieux comme lui. C’est là sa grande récompense.

d) L’esprit de jugement et les relations fraternelles. Jésus met en ésus proclame le bonheur de ceux que leur condition rend propres à avoir part au royaume de Dieu, et le malheur de ceux qui en sont exclus par leurs dispositions (20-26).

.Jésus mit en garde contre l’esprit de jugement, si opposé à la vraie charité ; il promit en retour l’indulgence et le pardon. Il exhorta à donner, et promit la compensation à celui qui donnera. Un aveugle ne peut conduire un aveugle ; le disciple n’est pas plus que le Maître. Ne regardez pas la paille dans l’œil de votre frère. Pour ne pas vous rendre coupables d’une telle hypocrisie, et pour être dans vos relations avec vos frères tout ce que vous devez être, souvenez-vous que le fruit répond à l’arbre ; efforcez-vous d’être de bons arbres, d’avoir dans votre cœur un bon trésor.

Conclusion pratique du discours

Jésus recommande à ses auditeurs de ne pas se contenter de l’appeler Seigneur, mais de pratiquer fidèlement le principe du royaume de Dieu. Ils seront ainsi semblables à l’homme qui a bâti sa maison sur le roc ; tandis que ceux qui ne mettent pas en pratique les paroles du Maître ressemblent à l’homme qui bâtit sa maison sur la terre.

Compléments

◊ Diacre Michel Houyoux : cliquez ici → LA FAMILLE DOIT ÊTRE UN LIEU DE PARDON

◊ Diacre Michel Houyoux : cliquez ici → La maison construite sur le roc et la maison construite sur le sable

◊ Regnum Christi : cliquez ici → Heureux, vous les pauvres, car le royaume de Dieu est à eux

◊ Catholique.org. : cliquez ici → Heureux les pauvres- Les méditations

♥ Vidéo L’argent et le bonheur : cliquez ici → https://youtu.be/VTZaMXGquHg