Rev. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi
No doubt, Christians today suffer from identity crisis as a result of varied doctrines and teachings coming forth from the mouth of many preachers. In our society today, basic Christian doctrines have fallen in the hands of many who produce teachings either to satisfy their motives or to justify their actions. Indeed, many have left the Gospel of Jesus Christ and have entangled themselves with their own gospel, to the extent that if it were possible, they would estrange themselves from Christianity in order to find their own religion. This explains why many church Sign Posts and Bill Boards today have the pictures of the founding Pastor and the wife, rather than the picture of our Lord Jesus Christ. The various inscriptions on many of these Sign Posts and Bill Boards are not even Christian at all. In such a societal set-up, Jesus is asking all of us today: who do you say I am? Who do you tell people that I am? What do you preach concerning me? Hence, we all need to ask ourselves: who do we say Jesus is? What do we tell people that Jesus is? What do we preach concerning Jesus? We must discover the identity of Jesus whom we preach. Preaching Jesus presupposes the knowledge of Him; not only about His person but also about what he expects from us as disciples, for by following him, we too discover our mission.
The readings of today present this fact of identity discovery. The Gospel (Luke 9:18-24) is based on the identity of Jesus Christ and how this identity must affect our discipleship. The First Reading (Zech. 12:10-11; 13:1) is a prophecy on the identity of a just man who was killed by his people due to their inability to discover the righteousness of the just man because of their wickedness of heart. Having realized their fault and wickedness, they will weep and mourn extensively for this just man and would require divine cleansing. God will pour a spirit into the people means that he will take the initiative in bringing about in them a new interior attitude; one flowing from repentance for the evil they had done (cf. Is. 53, on the suffering servant). No doubt, this is a prophecy about Christ who said in the Gospel that “the son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests, and be killed...” The Second Reading (Gal. 3:26-29) speaks on the identity of Christians, as people united in Christ regardless of nationality, gender, age, or status.
In the Gospel, Jesus had to ask his disciples, on the one hand about what people take him to be, and on the other hand, about what they they take him to be. There was a report of who Jesus was in other people’s views. The importance of asking questions cannot be over-emphasized. Asking questions leads to discovery, and sometimes asking the right question is crucial for your well being. The Igbos say: Onye ajuju anaghi efu uzo. While there are a lot of spiritual questions we need to ask, none is more important than the question Jesus asked his disciples: but, who do you say I am? Jesus needed to be sure what His followers take Him to be prior to his death on the cross. We must realize that in the study of Luke, the matter of Jesus’ identity is emphasized. In the birth narrative, the angel announced the birth of the saviour who is Christ the lord (2:11). John the Baptist denied that he was the Christ and appointed people to Jesus (3:15-17). Many works Jesus did too put the people in confusion whether he was the Christ, the Holy one of God (cf. 5:21, 7:49, 9:9). At this question, Peter answered: you are the Christ of God. In other Synoptic Gospel writers, the answer had this formulation: you are the Christ (Mk. 8:29), and you are the Christ, the son of the living God (Mtt. 16:16). Here, we concentrate on Luke.
Luke hence presents to the reader Peter’s answer to this question as one that clears these confusions about the identity of Christ who does not make noise about it but even tells his disciples to keep it secret. It is the first time in Luke a disciple refers to Jesus as Messiah. Peter’s answer due to the Jewish understanding of the Messiah focuses on Jesus power to save needy people from the forces of evil, especially the evil perpetrated by the earthly rulers (the Roman Emperors). But beyond this notion of the Messiah as a reigning king who will overthrow the evil rule and bring political freedom to the Jews is the sacrificial dimension of the messiah who will suffer and die, and so sacrifice his life for others bringing spiritual freedom to all, not even only to the Jews (for in Christ, no Jew, no Gentile as the Second Reading says). Now, the Messiah (Jesus), as the Christ (anointed) of God must be viewed from a new dimension: the cross. Little wonder Jesus had to immediately correct such an impression by informing His disciples of His impending death and resurrection, and the cost of discipleship. Going back to Peter’s answer, there are two upshots regarding it which are worthy of note: 1. The answer to the question is the most correct 2. The answer requires a personal response of faith and obedience
A. It is the most correct answer for it was when Peter answered that Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone these. The answers they all gave concerning people’s view about Jesus were all incorrect. Only Peter’s answer was correct. We must know that Jesus is not whatever you want him to be. He is what He is (cf. I am who I am of Exodus). What you feel does not change the identity of Jesus. This answer is simply an objectively revealed truth. Many people today think that the identity of Jesus must be left under the whims and caprices of however one experiences Him. They have removed their vision of truth from this objective revelation in the Scriptures and have become inclined to their individual hypotheses perceived from dreams, hallucinations or imaginations. Hence, we must say what we have been told Jesus is, not any sentimental perception.
B. Secondly, Jesus went on to warn the disciples to tell no one of this truth, and then He tells them of His impending death. Jesus came to deal with the sinfulness of man; that is why He must die to redeem us. The disciples must also take up their crosses and follow Him not expecting glory or crown without suffering or the cross. This cross upon which Jesus died is the only divine solution for our sin problem. Thus, Peter’s answer exhorts us to come as sinners to the crucified Christ, trusting in Him for salvation and justification. This is where the response of faith and obedience comes in. Therefore, our faith here is that Jesus is the Christ who has come to wash away our sins that we may have life. He is our sin-bearer.
The words of Jesus too have many lessons to teach us today.
1. Identity discovery is very crucial in the life of every Christian. We must discover whom actually we are following. Are we following Jesus, or are we following some human beings? Christianity is a lifestyle patterned along the line of a divine person, not merely a set of rules. Paul told Timothy, “I know whom I have believed” (2 Tim 1:120). Christianity does not mean only reciting a creed, it means also knowing a person. It is a life of followership to Christ. We must make every effort to know the identity of Jesus whom we are following. Read your Bible; study your Catechism and listen to the Church. We must discover Jesus Christ; and to discover him, we must go to Gethsamane, Gabatha and Golgotha. We must discover Jesus in every hardship we experience in life. Running from one pastor to the other or from one native doctor to the doctor does not solve the problem. What solves the problem is our ability to see Jesus in our suffering. He is the Christ of God who suffered and died for our sake. We must also weigh every preacher on the scale of his or her followership to Christ. That is why it is pertinent to know Christ, for how can we weigh our preachers if we are unable to know Christ? Make no mistake about this. St. Paul said: imitate me as I imitate Christ. Today, Christians sheepishly imitate people that are proven to be outside Christ. Are you among these sheep that are led astray? Come back and begin to follow the right way. Shine your eyes, my dear people of God. Go and read Mathew 24:24.
2. Following and knowing Christ entails passing through the cross of suffering; and sticking out our necks to be tortured for the sake of Christ. ♫♫ Anyi ga-amara ya; eh, anyi ga amara ya. Ihe anyi ga eji mara ya, site na apa ahu di n’ukwu na aka ya ♫♫ That is the demand of discipleship. Christianity without the cross is mundanity. There are four mysteries we constantly go through whenever we say our rosaries. These four mysteries (the joyful, the luminous, the sorrowful and the glorious) are all parts and parcel of the Christian experience. Any attempt to remove one considered bitter renders the Christian lifestyle k-legged. If there is no cross, there will not be any crown. The Christ we are following is the one that have died and was killed for our sake. The son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priest. He suffered and then enter into the glory of the Father. The problem today is that many Christians do not want to hear about suffering for the sake of Christ as part of the gospel message. Worse still, many preachers have toed the line of only prosperity message (a cross-less Christianity) in their preaching. This is the situation today, and every authentic Christian must work against such current. Accept the suffering that may come your way and pray God to transform that suffering into glory.
3. The gospel of Jesus Christ is one of perseverance devoid of hypocrisy. Hypocrites have the outward show of love where hatred lies inward. They act as if they want to lose their lives for the other where they are actually trying to save them; trying to amerce wealth with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The truth here is that they may succeed in deceiving man, not God. Christ constantly warned his followers to avoid the yeast of the Pharisees and their white-wash mentality. Christians must beware of such a life. Our proclamation of Christ must be sincere merged with utmost devotion. What we say about Christ must be connected with what he had told us that he is, not our selfish interest. Many preachers today preach themselves instead of Christ. Many too twist the message of truth to suit their selfish interest. Many bank on the gullibility of their followers and release teachings that cause more harm than good to the Christian fold. Hypocrisy is a cankerworm trying to eat deep into the fabrics of the worshipping community today.
Permit me to end with a story. One Sunday morning during Church worship, a worshipping community of about 3000 were surprised to see two men enter the church. Both covered from head to toe in black and carrying submachine guns. One of the men said: anyone willing to take a bullet for Christ, remain where you are. Instantly, the choir fled, the prominent members fled, and many others too, remaining only about 15 people. The man who had spoken took off his hood and then looked at the preacher and said: okay Sir, I have got rid of all the hypocrites; you may now continue your worship. Have a nice day. The two men then walked away. We become really Christians during the hard moments of life, not just during its joyful moments. The witness of life has become more than ever an essential condition for real effectiveness in preaching. Pope Paul VI in his Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Nuntiandi of 1975, no. 75 asks all Christians: Do you really believe what you are proclaiming? Do you live what you believe? Do you really preach what you live? I live you to answer these questions, as I wish you a blessed week ahead. GOD BLESS YOU.
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