As we profess through the Nicene Creed, we, the Church, are apostolic. It means that we are apostles, following the examples of the Apostles, constituting the Church, one Body of Christ (Romans 12:4; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27). To be apostles to be sent to all nations to make disciples (Matthew 28:19), we ourselves first need to be disciples of Christ. We are always disciples of Christ. And it is our Christian identity. But, what does it mean to be a disciple of Christ? Do we really understand what it takes to be a disciple? The Scripture readings for the 22nd Sunday, Cycle A, (Jeremiah 20:7-9; Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27) address the discipleship.
Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we are inducted
into the Church, which Jesus has built on Peter, the rock (Matthew 16:18). Through
catechization, we become disciples, growing not only in knowledge about one God
but also in faith in the triune God. As we learn about one God in Trinity and
ourselves in relation to the triune God, we grow in faith and cultivate our
Christian identity. Then, we make our public vows of our life-long commitment to
God and His mission through the Sacrament of Confirmation. Because this
Sacrament of formation reflects Pentecost, while we continue to learn for the
rest of our life, we become ready to be sent as apostles, having achieved a
certain level of mastery in our discipleship.
Being a disciple literally means being a learner (μαθητής/mathetes). This Greek word, mathetes, for disciple share the same
roots with mathema (μάθημα), which means
what is to be learned, the etymological word for mathematics. Does it mean that
we also have to learn mathematics (mathema)
to be disciples (matheton – pl. of mathetes)? This is a good question! What
is the most important thing here is that what is to be learned (mathema) is the triune God through our
personal relationship with Jesus, who is the Son, and the Parakletos (Advocate/Comforter) (1 John 2:1), and through the Holy Spirit,
another Parakletos (John 14:16), and
then, who we are, as the Church (Ekklesia)
in relation to the triune God, just as summed up in the Nicene Creed.
What does it mean to be disciples of Christ, besides
being life-long learner of what Christ has taught? It means to follow Christ,
who is the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6). Therefore, being
disciples of Christ means follower of Christ, always learning from him and the
Holy Spirit, so that we can be sent as apostles to make disciples in all
nations on earth. And, this is just the basics of the discipleship.
What the Scripture readings of the 22nd
Sunday (Jeremiah 20:7-9; Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew
16:21-27) teach us about the discipleship is what it takes to be disciples.
And, it is self-denial so that we can take up our cross (Matthew 16:24). It
means humility by overcoming ego and bearing suffering even to the point of
death. This is what it means to follow Christ, who is the way, while continuing
to learn the truth of Christ, and this practice of the discipleship leads to
life, as Christ is the life (Mathew 16:25-26; cf. John 14:6). And, Jesus
himself has lead the way of the discipleship by his own example, making himself
as the living sacrifice – the ultimate Passover sacrificial lamb (Exodus
12:1-7,21-27), which John the Baptist called Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi (John 1:29). That is why Jesus
foretold of his death to the disciples (Matthew 16:21), upon Peter’s
proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 16:16). Jesus, who is the way,
the truth, and the life (John 14:6) leads the way and the truth and life, by
offering himself as the living sacrifice holy living sacrifice, pleasing to God
the Father (Romans 12:1), so that we follow him – being able to offer ourselves
as holy living sacrifices, pleasing to God.
Certainly, this is very difficult for us to follow
the way of Christ as we need to deny ourselves and may suffer to death. But, it
is the way of the discipleship, led by Christ himself as he has offered himself
up as the ultimate living sacrifice on the Cross for our salvation, as Passover
sacrificial lamb has saved the Israelites from God’s wrath through its blood.
Perhaps, Peter knew so well how difficult it is to
be a disciple of Christ for the cost of the discipleship. It is because Peter was
rebuked by Jesus for protesting the prospect of the Messiah’s suffering and
death when Jesus foretold his suffering, death, and resurrection (Matthew
16:21-23). Peter protested the prospect that Jesus, the Messiah, would have to
die, because it made no sense to him. And, Jesus reminded that suffering and
death of the Messiah makes no sense to the worldly mindset of humans but it
makes sense to God in rebuking Peter for being an obstacle to the way of the
Messiah, the Christ, by protesting the prospect of the Messiah’s death (Matthew
16:23). That is why, Paul tells us not to conform ourselves to the world but to
transform ourselves by renewing our minds in light of the mind of God (Romans
12:2). This way, not only we accept that the Messiah has to suffer and die but
also we follow this way of the Messiah as our practice of the discipleship,
denying ourselves and carrying our cross.
The First Reading (Jeremiah 20:7-9) gives a
prototype image of the discipleship with an example of Jeremiah’s suffering.
Also, it reminds us that Jeremiah did not sink into his suffering because he
kept the fire of his faith in God (Jeremiah 20:9-13), and the fire of Jeremiah’s
faith, which enabled him to endure his suffering, is the thirst for God (Psalm
63:2), sung in the responsorial Psalm’s doxology.
Jeremiah was able to carry his cross because he kept the fire of his faith, his inherent thirst for God. Thus, Jeremiah gives a prototype of Jesus’ teaching about what it takes to be his disciples – self-denial and carrying our cross (our humility and bearing suffering even to a point of death). But if we conformed ourselves to the world, making ourselves to think merely with human mind but not with the mind of God, then, this truth in Jesus’ teaching would make no sense, risking ourselves to be rebuked by Jesus with these strong words: “Get behind me, Satan!” for becoming obstacles to the way of Christ and our discipleship.
Have we learned a critical lesson on the discipleship, in particular, what it takes to be a disciple of Christ, to remain in the way of Christ but not to get in the way of Christ’s Messianic mission? Remember, we must keep learning to be disciples (matheton). And, unless we learn, how can we become apostles to make disciples – even it may bring suffering to bear and demand us to offer ourselves as holy living sacrifices?
As long as we keep the fire of our faith, our
inherent thirst for God, we also believe that our discipleship is rewarded
greatly because our self-offering as living sacrifices pleases God. And, just
as Christ resurrected upon his suffering and death, we, too, are promised to be
raised for being loyal disciples of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:12-58). Let us not
forfeit this great reward by not practicing self-denial and letting our fear,
which is due to our ego, prevent us from carrying our cross!
Remember, it costs more not to bear the cost of the
discipleship, for our failure of self-denial.
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