It's Not What You Think (Lk 9-22-25)

We often misunderstand the kind of self-denial and sacrifice called for in following Christ.  Our misunderstanding stems from the claims that Jesus makes in a conversation with his disciples.  Jesus tells his disciples that he soon must undergo great suffering, and that we too must take up our own daily cross to follow him.  From this claim, we get the idea that following Jesus might create tension between our wills and the will of God.  In reality, the sacrifice and self-denial Jesus calls for does the very opposite—it brings the kind of peace possible only by living in a manner consistent with the values of God.

Jesus proves this point in confronting several temptations in the desert before starting his public ministry.  Satan presents these temptations to entice Jesus away from his original purpose—to do the will of God.  In tempting Jesus, the devil tries to repeat his success with Adam and Eve.  Satan tempts Adam and Eve with what appears to be an attractive alternative to the life and mission God had given them.  Satan seduces Adam and Eve into believing that they would be as gods, if only they would follow his command.  Satan offers Adam and Eve a different interpretation of their lives, and they buy into it.  Instead of holding fast to the life and mission that God had given them, Adam and Eve settle for the illusion invented by Satan.

Jesus, on the other hand, does not buy into the interpretation of his life and mission that Satan offers.  The devil tries to seduce Jesus into believing that Jesus’ mission is to be financially secure with material wealth and political power.  Jesus rejects that interpretation and holds fast to the life and mission that God gives him.  He understands and accepts what faithfulness entails for him in this world despite the self-denial and suffering involved—and God rewards his faithfulness.  For, the angels come and minister to Jesus after he successfully resists these temptations and reaffirms his faithfulness to God, no matter the cost.

The success of Jesus in resisting these temptations gives the impression that he’s now off the hook.  He’s proven his mettle as the faithful Son of God and will no longer endure temptation of any kind.  In reality, the desert temptations were only an example and prelude to the temptations that Jesus would continually face throughout his earthly life (Lk 4:13; Mt 16:23).  This reality is the basis for Paul’s claim that Jesus is able to “sympathize with our weaknesses…because he has been tested in every way like we are, yet is without sin” (Heb 4:15).  

Hunger, grief, rejection, homelessness, and the unrelenting threat to his life posed by the Pharisees were no less difficult for Jesus than for anyone.  These conditions alone would pose a constant temptation for Jesus to abandon his mission and avoid the easily foreseeable cruel death he would endure.  So, no, Jesus was not let off the hook once he conquered the desert temptations.

We might be tempted to think that such temptations are not ours to deal with and overcome.  And yet, with all the glamor and attractions of modern life, listening and responding to the Word of God is a challenge at times, to say the least.  There are many other voices competing for our attention and devotion.  Do we follow a voice alien to our Father in heaven?  Jesus said that his sheep hear his voice and follow him (Jn 10:27).  Do we accept the interpretation of our lives that others try to impose on us?  Do we let others decide who we are or who we should be?  Do we abandon the grace and purpose that God gives us in favor of the interpretation that others have for us?  Do we respond to temptation like the Israelites in the desert who chose a golden calf idol over the true God, or do we follow Jesus in the desert and remain faithful to God no matter the cost?

We are children of God.  Jesus said that being a member of his family meant not only hearing the Word of God, but acting on it as well (Luke 8:19-21).  As children of God, we are called not only to be hearers of the Word, but also doers of the Word (Jm 1:22-25).  Lent is a time of preparation and choice to adopt and follow the values of God.  

May these days of Lent be our preparation to imitate the faithfulness of Jesus.  We have Jesus’ word that the Holy Spirit is our guide and helper (Acts 1:3-4).  His own response to temptations in the desert is reason enough to believe that Jesus will keep his word.  For, we have a high priest able to sympathize with our weaknesses in every way (Heb 4:15).  In that case, we can be sure that following Jesus creates harmony with the will of God and brings the peace he offers to his faithful ones.   

Take Off the Mask (Mt 5:17-37)

Very soon, we will celebrate Mardi Gras in preparation for Lent.  A fun part of Mardi Gras is the enjoyment of many foods and various delights before giving up some of them for Lent.  Another fun part of this celebration are the many parades and costume parties that go on.  Putting on a costume and mask to hide our true identity is always fun because we can pretend to be anybody we want.  Indeed, pretense is the whole point of wearing a mask.

In real life, we also wear masks for the same reason.  At times, we want to pretend in a way that conceals our thoughts or emotions, or enables us to meet social expectations, or to hide our true intentions.  In most cases, the pretense is a harmless part of ordinary living, like putting your best foot forward, so to speak.  The innocence of wearing a mask disappears, however, when the pretense becomes an excuse for mistreating or unjustly harming others.  

The injustice of this kind of pretense is precisely why Jesus called out the hypocritical behavior of the Pharisees.  Their public pretense of keeping the Word of God concealed their fake piety and religious elitism.  Their mask enabled the extortion and mistreatment of others for personal gain.  They had taken the wrong road.  Theirs was an inauthentic faith that undercut their true spiritual destiny by steering them away from the true God.  Jesus wants us to go the other way and stay on the right road of authentic faith based on the values and wisdom of God.  

To that end, he does something a bit unexpected.  He provides several examples to help us think outside the box and expose the illusion and spiritual danger of an inauthentic faith.  He deepens our understanding in that regard by describing anger as having the same root as murder.  He warns us to settle our differences before offering our gifts at the altar.  He claims that the vows of marriage require more than a pretense of loyalty.  He says that mocking others and calling them names is a form of cruelty subject to severe judgement.

From a modern perspective, these claims appear absurd, impractical, and unreasonable.  Today, we readily shun those who hate us.  We think nothing of returning insult for insult.  We imprison those who steal as common criminals, and we expect repayment in full for money loaned.  We only give to those who deserve it, and we know exactly who qualifies.  We view bad behavior as deserving of just punishment.

Authentic faith, on the other hand, calls for a different perspective—love of enemies, doing good to those who hate us, giving more to the one who steals from us, lending without expecting a return, refusing to judge and condemn others.  Jesus wants us to stop focusing on who deserves our help, and instead, offer assistance when and where needed regardless of why the person needs our help.  This is not to say that motive counts for nothing, but it does mean that we cannot turn our backs on those who need our cloak, our funds, our respect.  To refuse such help is unjust.

God gives us a choice between life and death, good and evil.  Whichever we choose will be given us.  We receive back what we give: give and gifts will be given in good measure…overflowing in fact (Ps 126:5; Lk 6:38).  We can live by the wisdom and values of God if we so choose (Sir 15:15).  As Jesus puts it, whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake, will find it (Mt 16:25).  The inference of that choice is plain enough—we literally build our spiritual life both here and in the hereafter by the way we live day by day, deed by deed, choice by choice.

We simply make better choices on our spiritual journey when we love others in a way that is shaped by our love for God.  This is the point that Christ makes when he emphasizes the preeminence of love with the two great commandments.  For Jesus, love binds us to each other and to God in a dynamic, interconnected relationship.  The result is that whatever we do to and for the other, we do to and for Christ himself.  Living by the principle of love means that we see things in a different way than is expected.  We see with the eyes of the soul rather than with ordinary eyes.  

With ordinary eyes, many of the “least” don’t look as we imagine God.  The least may frighten us, be different from us, or seem undeserving.  Such a vision leads us to give only to those who give to us; to do good to those who do good to us; lend only to those who will repay.  Jesus calls us to a different way of life, a different way of seeing things. Jesus expects us to live according to the values and wisdom of God.

In essence, Jesus expects us to follow him on his path of love.  He is our model for daily living in both word and deed.  We put on the mind of Christ without pretense to see ourselves and others as Jesus sees us—with the eyes of love.  This is the essence of authentic faith that enables us to be the kind of person we are meant to be, in which case we have no need of masks.  This deeper perspective on authentic faith is what Jesus means when he says that he came not to abolish the law or the prophets, but to fulfill. 

Stick to the Right Road (Mk 6:14-29)

The mission of John the Baptist is described in the New Testament as the “voice of one crying out in the desert,” proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Mk 1:4; Is 40:3).  In fact, these three words—sin, repentance, and forgiveness—indicate the entire focus of John’s mission, a mission that Jesus himself reaffirmed when he said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt 4:17).  These three words have meaning for us today as well, because sin is part and parcel of the human fabric.  Thus, the need for repentance and forgiveness persists to this day.

Sin itself is a matter of going down the wrong road, embracing something that takes us away from the one true God.  To sin is to follow and imitate a false god.  We get an idea of what a false god is in the Psalm that reads: “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands…Those who make them become like them; as do all who trust in them” (Ps 115:4-8).  In other words, false gods are those things with no lasting value, the illusions we treasure and prefer.  We know what those illusions are because we know what captures our attention, and how we devote our time and energy.  We know what matters to us.   

For that reason, the god we worship—whether the true God or a false god—always motivates and energizes our decisions about what to pursue and how to live in the world (CCC 1782-89; CCC for Adults, p. 315).  There is a spiritual line that separates the two possibilities, with legitimate attention and effort on one side, and the illusion of idol worship on the other.  No rule of religion or theology draws this line for us.  Each of us knows where the line is and when we cross it.  

All of this is to say that sin is not simply a matter of breaking rules by doing this, or not doing that.  Rather, sin is a mindset, a choice to turn away from the true God of love toward a false god of illusion.  It follows that repentance is a decision to go back on the right road.  What triggers a decision to repent is perhaps different for each of us, but St. Paul attributes the underlying motivation to God himself.  

For Paul, the loving kindness of God leads a person to give up sinful ways and once again live with integrity, to live in a manner consistent with the values of God (Rm 2:4).  In this sense, repentance is more often a process of transformation that begins with an awareness that we have crossed the line, that we have gone down the wrong road.  Acknowledging and owning this error in turn leads to a desire for forgiveness.    

Forgiveness is a standing offer from God, always available, without reserve, to those who ask for it (1 Jn 1:9).  In fact, the word “pardon” first appears in the golden calf story when Moses says to God, “If I find favor with you, Lord, please…pardon our wickedness and sins, and claim us as your own.”  God does just as Moses requests, thus revealing himself to be a God of mercy and forgiveness (Num 14:20).  

This exchange between God and Moses shows that God does not deal with us according to our sins, but with his mercy.  God is therefore our hope because he is gracious and slow to anger, a God of second chances who is eager to forgive our unfaithful behavior (Ps 103:8-10).  Awareness of our loving God is often the inspiration we need to repent and remain steadfast on the right road.