“Deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me.”
Most of the time people give excuses when someone assigned them
a task. People always have something to say to the one giving the task. It’s almost a human behavior to complain and show
unwillingness to take the responsibility. Sometimes as individual you have to
ask yourself, ‘why complains come first when someone ask you to take responsibility?’
In the first reading of today, Jeremiah complains to
God, that He overpowered him as he was given the task which God prepared for
him. He accuses God of enticing him and overpowering him (Jer 20: 7). These verbs show that
God forced him to prophesy against his will. Jeremiah was not willing to take freely the
responsibility which God has entrusted to him. God’s love came to Jeremiah as
fire when he says, “if l say l will not mention Him, or speak any more in His name, there is in my heart as it were a
burning fire shut up in my bones… (Jer 20:9).” God Himself, through His power
and love, had forced Jeremiah to obey Him, and to be moved by His love in his
heart to do God’s will. God’s love always comes to us with power and it has to
be treated positively, and to be accepted.
Jeremiah
thereby claims to be a true prophet, not who sends himself with his own
message. If we obey God, we
can be able to perform wonders and great things will happen to us and saving
others.
In the second reading from the letter of St Paul to
the Romans, Paul reminded us that, Christian existence must not be conformed to
this world but transformed by the renewal of minds. Paul says that, “do not
conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, (Rom 12:2).” A renewed mind is
essential to the discernment of God’s will and the transformation of life. If we renew our mind, we can be able to obey God, and
do His will.
From the Gospel of
today according to Matthew, we hear Jesus rebuking Peter, for he was thinking
against the will of God. To think against God’s will is a sign of disobedience
which Jesus rebuke in Peter. Jesus spoke to His disciples saying, “if any one
would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me
(Mat 16:24).” To deny oneself is to return from whatever hinders
faithful and lived commitment. All
the readings of today are reminding us to obey God, and to deny ourselves, and
to accept the will of God to happen in us.
Joseph Chingarande
I Year Theology
