The Way of the Messiah and Our Way

In today's Gospel, Mark 8: 27-33, Jesus and his disciples are traveling to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way, He asked his disciples:"Who do you say that I am?" And Peter answers: "You are the Christ,"   that is, the Messiah, the one sent to set the people free.  The people were hoping that Jesus would free the people from Roman rule and occupation of their country.  So when, later on this journey, He tells them that he "must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days," Peter vehemently rebuked Jesus. "Get behind me Satan. You are thinking, not as God does, but as human beings do."

First of all, who do I say that Jesus is?  Do I truly believe that He is the Son of God, the One sent by the Trinity to save me personally, to set me free from the evil that is capable of separating me from God forever, that has the power to destroy me spiritually? Do I believe that Jesus is the One who will raise me to eternal life with Him following the end of my mission here on earth? Do I believe that Jesus is the One who created the universe and all that is in it for the glory of God, that He is the One who created me and all human beings in the image and likeness of God Himself for the same purpose, that is, to give glory to God here on earth and in heaven itself?

What do I believe? And how strong is my belief? When Jesus says to me: "Dorothy Ann, I am going to be rejected. I am going to suffer greatly. In fact, Dorothy Ann, I am going to be put to death!" The One who is sent to free me will Himself be brutally killed? Do I say with Peter: "No, Lord! Never! You're crazy! No way! You are the Messiah. You cannot be killed by the rulers of this age! You don't know what you are talking about!"  End of conversation! 

When I look around and see good people killed by others, dying prematurely, evil people taking over the world, good people rejected, suffering greatly at the hands of others, do I rise up in protest and say: "No way, Lord!  This is not to be!"  Do I repel? Perhaps I did not hear the rest of Jesus' statement "And rise after three days"! Life involves great suffering, death and rising to new life forever following our sojourn here on earth.  That is what life is about and Jesus was not spared that. He was no exception to being a human being! At times, we are baffled by what happens to  us and to family members and all others! At times life is simply incredible,  a mystery to be lived, not solved.  Life treats us no differently that it treated Jesus and Jesus teaches us to believe in what he taught us: Death is not the end! Suffering will not destroy us. We have immortality within us. We have the power of the Spirit to raise us up beyond the cross, as the Spirit did for the Incarnate God, God made human for us.