Matthew 16:21-27
My friend told me this story when she came for a visit last month. There’s this theology professor in her school; famous, published, often quoted, but feared. He’s that type who knows he’s good. But he has ways of reminding you that he is, ‘yung ganong klase. And you know how people like that can be, right? Takes little to irk them, they’re catty & sarcastic, they don’t hesitate to show that they have more important things to do than entertain your opinion or answer your stupid question, & all that. One day, one of the professor’s students asked for a deadline extension for his paper. The kid was just recovering from an injury due to an accident. Well, Professor X, true to form, wouldn’t budge. He was catty, sarcastic, & dismissive. After being needlessly lectured, the student finally said, “You know what, professor, you’re a (jerk).” (He actually used another word that begins with an “A,” but it’s not appropriate in church.) Professor X stopped dead, shocked. First time someone made him aware of what everybody already thought & said of him but were too afraid say so: that he may be an accomplished academic, but he was just a big, self-absorbed, arrogant jerk (not the actual word). After telling me the story, my friend said, “This reminds me of what my therapist told me one time: a jerk stays a jerk until somebody says ouch.”
I’ve read & heard today’s Gospel as many times as you have. But funny that it’s only now I notice it: the word “show.” “Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, suffer greatly from (the religious authorities), be killed, & be raised.” Now I’m wondering: how might Jesus have shown that he must go to Jerusalem w/ full knowledge of the risk of death? Ano, hindi kaya siya mapakali? Lagi kaya siyang balisa? Madalas kaya siyang nakatingin sa malayo na malalim na iniisip? Mabilis kaya siyang mainis? But more importantly, sisters & brothers, what was he thinking of doing in Jerusalem so bad, that that it showed? If he was going back there to preach & heal, well, he did that every day, uneventfully. So, nothing extraordinary would’ve shown in Jesus’ behavior if that was the only thing he planned on doing. But he must’ve felt in his bones: this “trip to Jerusalem” wasn’t going to be the parlor game of musical chairs. It might just be his last journey. Now that would’ve shown, wouldn’t it? So, what was he thinking of doing that he knew would likely seal his fate for good? I can only think of one thing: cleansing the Temple. Jesus was going to finally say ouch.
When Jesus marches to Jerusalem, he will carry in his heart all the names & faces of people whom the religious authorities have disregarded, ostracized, separated—all because of their wrong interpretation of God’s Law; their elitist, discriminatory, ritualistic, formalistic, anti-poor, wrong interpretation of God’s Law. What better place to bring the people’s ouch but the Temple? The beating heart of Israel’s faith. The dwelling place of Adonai…which the authorities had long been cashing in on, stealing from, & milking. Kasi ang daming pumapasok na pera at mga alay. But Jesus knows, when he says ouch, no, when he shows his ouch, the holy authorities may just pounce on him this time, until ouch he can say no more. “Say what you want about us, Jesus of Nazareth,” I could almost hear the Pharisees & Sadducees think, “But don’t you ever touch our money & power.”
I’m not on any social media except maybe the classroom & church which I consider social media anyway. So, I ask my younger Jesuit brothers, “May umaaray na ba sa social media tunkol sa (pagka-inutil) ng mga pinuno natin sa pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin?” “Meron naman, Father. Marami na.” “E d’un sa mga napakong pangako nung eleksyon, at d’un sa Department of Agriculture, the beating heart of the poor’s problems today (or, more like the heart that stopped beating), may nag-che-chest-pain na ba, may umaaray na?” “Meron, Father. Marami na.” I wonder who, like our Lord, is going to finally take one for the team. Who’s going to march to Jerusalem to carry all the poor’s ouches, & take one for the team? Come to think of it, uso pa ba ‘yon, ‘yung taking one for the team? May mga bayani pa ba? That’s what a hero is, ‘di ba? Someone who takes up all the ouches of the poor & the wounded, & takes one for them.
Dear sisters & brothers, you & I are no strangers to taking up our cross, aren’t we? We’ve willingly endured many sacrifices for people, institutions, the vocation we love. But, see, when Jesus said, “whoever wishes to come after me must deny themselves, take up their cross, & follow me,” he said it during & within a very specific context; the context in which he was about to march up to the holy bullies & say ouch to them & take one for the team. That’s the kind of cross that Jesus was talking about during & within that particular context. In other words, “Sinong gustong sumama?” That was the unsaid question. “Anyone want to come?” “God forbid, Lord, no such thing shall ever happen to you.” So, wala. Walang gustong sumama. Walang gustong sumama para umaray.
When was the last time you had the courage to say your ouch to someone? What happened to you after that? Sharing tayo? May ouch story din ako & boy, the consequences were awful & long-drawn. But the Lord & my closest friends knew I told only the naked truth. Anyway, sisters & brothers, since time immemorial as you can see, a jerk remains a jerk until somebody says ouch. I continue to pray to God: “Please, God, send us an oucher & deliver us from more jerks.”
Homily delivered by Fr Arnel Aquino, SJ
Cenacle Retreat House
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
3 September 2023