21ST SUNDAY, 23 AUGUST 2020: ISAIAH 22. 19-23; ROMANS 11. 33-36;
MATTHEW 16. 13-20: “Who do you say I am?”
Focus: Faith is not a matter of mere knowledge or familiarity, but an experience, a relation and a commitment
1. “Who do people say I am?”, “Who do you say I am?” A question posed by Jesus to his disciples. Is it a sign of identity crisis? Is it a sign of a psychological process of self-realisation and self-discovery? Is it a sign of a natural human curiosity or inquisitiveness to know what others say about oneself? Is it a sign of an ordinary human seeking for recognition and affirmation?
2. Nothing of these. But it is rather a question that invites and challenges us for a sincere and authentic self-discovery and a profound and core identity. We can discover our true self, realise our core identity, only in relation to Jesus, only in bonding with him, in intimacy and communion with him.
What he is to us, makes us what we are.
3. It is not a matter of mere saying who he is but living and experiencing who he is. It is not enough that words and expressions do abound, unless experience does abound. All our acclamations and assertions, all our professions and proclamations should not be mere collections of formulations. Rather they should be expressions, extensions and expansions of a deeper and consistent experience and love of the Lord.
4. What others say, what we learn from others, what we receive from them, comes on only to a certain point of the journey. Ultimately, it is each one personally that has to make the journey with the Lord. It is this personal encounter, personal relationship that counts the most.
5. Therefore, it is not enough to say ‘Lord, Lord’, but it is also needed to surrender to him. Not enough to call him ‘master’, but is needed to be loyal to him and to follow in his footsteps. Not enough to acclaim him as Saviour, but is needed to be saved and liberated. Not enough to praise him as ‘healer’, but is needed to show the effect and signs of healing, that we are healed. Not enough to proclaim him as ‘guide’, but is needed to be guided. Not enough to attest him as Light, but is needed to be illumined and enlightened. Not enough to sing him as Love, but is needed to love him totally and passionately. Not enough to claim him as our strength and power, but is needed to be strengthened and empowered by him. Not enough to believe him as our nourishment, but is needed to be nurtured by him.
6. Yes, we must go beyond, we must rise above the minimum, the just ordinary, toward the maximum, toward a more harmonious living of grace. Our creed must go together with our deed, intention with action, feeling with healing, ability with humility, capacity with simplicity, competence with benevolence, intelligence with temperance, education with dedication, qualification with edification, specialisation with realisation, beauty with duty, convenient with commitment and modernity with modesty. This is the real experience and love with Jesus.
Direction: Expressions alone do not make one a person of great faith, however eloquent and powerful they may be. Every expression must be rooted in a profound experience of God, flow into a passionate bonding with God and concretise in an authentic life of devotion and dedication.
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