I often wonder if it is easier being a believer and a follower of Jesus today than it was in earlier generations. You only have to think back to the recent past to see that some people faced opposition and persecution because of their faith. We have all heard the stories of those living under totalitarian regimes who were persecuted and in some cases put to death. We know that during the twentieth century there were many martyrs – people who died for the faith. And I also wonder if it is easier to be a believer in Australia than in some other countries around the world. What are the challenges to being a believer say, in Hong Kong or China?
The gospel and the other readings today remind us that in some sense it has always been like this. In fact, the very identity of Jesus is tied up with his suffering and death, as well as his resurrection. In the gospel incident today the focus is on the disciples as they struggle to learn what being a follower of Jesus entails. We are lucky, because we are given a window into what was clearly a private conversation – away from the crowds – between Jesus and his immediate followers. Today is an opportunity for us to be part of this intimate instruction from Jesus.
The disciples heard what he had to say about being put to death, and were obviously left confused and not sure how to react. They didn’t even know how to ask a question about what Jesus had said. I imagine that at some level the idea of a suffering Messiah was just so foreign to them that didn’t even know how to speak about it. Perhaps they glimpsed that what Jesus said to them required such a big shift in their perceptions about Jesus himself, about God and even about themselves that they preferred to pretend that they hadn’t heard it. Look at what they had been talking about among themselves: they wondered which of them was the greatest! This suggests that they were failing to hear what Jesus was saying. They were treating him like someone who would have authority and power in the world and if they were close to him then they could share in it – the only question is which of them would be the greatest. So to hear that Jesus was going to suffer and be put to death must have really confused them. Then Jesus did something that was even more confusing. He embraced a little child and told them that to welcome a child like this is to welcome him. Let’s remember that in the ancient world a child was very insignificant – and certainly not doted over as we moderns do. Children only became significant when they reached an age where they could work and support others. In his gesture Jesus does what he did so often: he identified with the weakest and the feeblest in the society. In some sense he became like them and suffered like them. The gesture in today’s gospel goes with the saying that anyone who wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.
Throughout history there are many examples of people who have been captivated by this vision of Jesus and have committed themselves to it. Many have also followed in his footsteps and been put to death for their faith. It is easy for us to admire them, but we should not forget that they were all faced with a choice. They could have compromised and denied Jesus in their public utterances even if they continued to acknowledge in their hearts that they were with him. But they chose to stand with him in public and to endure the insults and derision of those who wanted to be rid of Jesus and his message. I have often wondered what it must require to make this choice and to follow him right to the end. Some of the explanation may be that they were full of the idealism and passion of youth, and so were prepared to do anything to be a witness to the gospel – after all, most martyrs have been relatively young people. Another part of the explanation may be that their captors had pushed them so far that they became even more determined to fight to the end. A further part of the explanation is surely that the Holy Spirit was with them to give them the courage and strength to hold firm, and to know that whatever happened to them they were in the hands of God and would be saved by God and would thus share in the new life of the risen Jesus.
In my reflections on these situations I also wonder if in a perverse sort of way these people have it easier than we do. I doubt that any of us are likely to be threatened with death because of our faith. The choice is never going to be as clear cut for us, because we live in a society where there is a lot of ambiguity about faith and its relationship to the society. For us, it is usually not a matter of life and death. This means that we have to be more alert if we are going to recognise that we even have choices, and that there are options. So, what strategy do we need to live in our world? The basic thing, I believe, is to constantly allow the gospel values to take root in our lives. In terms of Jesus’ saying and gesture with the child in today’s gospel it is a matter of more and more valuing humility, service, care, and respect for the defenceless. If we develop these values and allow them to shape the sort of persons we become then we will be in a good position to recognise that we have choices and there are decisions to be made. Then we can be confident that we will make the right decisions.
Rev Dr Gerard Kelly
