By All Means, Keep Moving: Faith Is the Indispensable Element of the Journey
Jeremiah 20:7–9; Romans 12:1–2; Matthew 16:21–27
One sure thing we know about Jeremiah is that he was a complainant. In fact, anyone who complains is sometimes called a “Jeremiah.” But we can ask ourselves: Is it bad or wrong to complain? When our life’s dreams do not fall into place, what do we do? When we have done the right thing, should we be rewarded with evil and punishment? Is it too much to ask that the person who has done wrong should be the one punished? Of course, we have a thousand and one arguments, using the intelligence God has given us, to justify why we are right and others are wrong, and why only good things should happen to good people and bad things to bad people. But what place do we allot to wisdom—to God’s wisdom?
We need to put Jeremiah’s complaints into perspective. As a prophet of God, he preached to the people, calling them to abandon their sins; otherwise, they would be punished by God. He stood in the Temple to preach; he confronted the king of Judah to warn him; he admonished the populace about the dangers and consequences of remaining in sin. Yet all his warnings fell on deaf ears. Instead, it was Jeremiah who was thrown into a pit. Worse still, Jeremiah witnessed the deportation of Judah to Babylon; he himself experienced migration to Egypt. All his prophecies came to pass during his lifetime, yet his life appeared to be a failure because nobody listened to him. His efforts seemed to have been in vain. Even the reward of dying peacefully in his homeland was denied him; he died in Egypt. Now, was it too much for him to complain? What did he do wrong to merit all that befell him?
The irony of life is that bad things do happen to good people. Jeremiah is one example, without even evoking Job, Joseph in prison, and many others. However, one thing remains constant in the lives of those good people in the Bible to whom bad things happened: they kept moving!
But why were they able to keep moving, and what kept them moving? The pit, migration to Egypt, calumny, conspiracies, and rejection could not stop Jeremiah. He kept moving. Why? The answer is faith. And faith is a consequence of fidelity, while fidelity is built on love! Hear what Jeremiah says in today’s first reading: “Lord, you have seduced me, and I have allowed myself to be seduced.” Ask a woman about the power of love, not a man! A woman in love braves everything and does the impossible.
I once asked a group of African women two questions. First, “Is it true that childbirth is painful? I have heard that women cry a lot during labor.” The response I received was that the pains of childbirth are indeed very severe. Second, I asked, “Why, then, do some women conceive again shortly after delivery—not even waiting a year? If childbirth is so painful, shouldn’t they avoid the act that leads to conception?” The only response I got was thunderous laughter!
Then I said to them: “Women, you are right. Childbirth is painful, not to mention the inconveniences of pregnancy.” I further said that one of the most beautiful smiles of a woman is the smile on her face when her baby is placed in her arms after childbirth. She is happy because a human being—a new life—has come into the world. When life comes into the world, the joy can make a woman forget the pains she has endured, and she may become ready to bring another human being into the world. Such is the attitude of courage and love: pain and discomfort do not stop her from moving forward!
The power of faith is what makes life livable despite pain and misery. Only those who are in love with God can put up with all kinds of ignominy for his sake. Even when they complain, they keep moving; they remain on the path of God. Sacrifice becomes second nature to those who love God because nothing precious comes cheaply. Sweat and crosses always precede crowns and medals. If Jeremiah had to put up with suffering and pain, Jesus Christ was not spared the same lot.
Today’s Gospel makes it abundantly clear that life is a journey to Jerusalem—the path of suffering and crucifixion. To be on the road to Jerusalem is to be ready for temptations and betrayals. Today, it was Peter who became “Satan”: “Get behind me, Satan!” This is the same Peter through whom the will of God had been made known previously: “Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, Peter, but my Father in heaven.”
How true it is that one’s friends and associates can sometimes become the cause of one’s downfall! It is in the face of difficulties and trials that you come to know a Christian. It is when the going gets tough that you know the tough who keep going. Interestingly, even the erratic and sometimes inconsistent Peter eventually learns to strengthen himself and move forward. With God, even apparent losers like Peter can be entrusted with great responsibilities. Not John, not Paul, but Peter became the rock upon which Christ built his Church!
One lesson we must not forget is that complaints are not resignations, and complainants are not necessarily quitters. Yes, complainants can be people who realize the weight of the cross they are carrying and who ask God for assistance. Every “Jeremiah” is a Christian who knows that the road to Jerusalem is hard, rocky, and narrow, but who counts on God’s grace to make the journey to the end.
You know what? Jesus simply wants us to keep moving. As Martin Luther King Jr. put it: “If you can’t fly, run; if you can’t run, walk; if you can’t walk, crawl; but by all means, keep moving!” But in the life of Jesus Christ, we learn a new way “to keep moving”: life itself is a sacrifice.
Paul says to us today in our second reading: “I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship” (Rom 12:1). Just as a woman’s body is capable of bearing the demands and pains associated with bringing forth new life, every Christian, by virtue of baptism, is called to a life of sacrifice. It is when a Christian refuses to embrace the sacrificial dimension of discipleship that many spiritual struggles begin.
Every sacrifice involves self-giving. Although the blood of Christ on the Cross has replaced every other shedding of blood for our salvation, to be a “living sacrifice” is to remain constantly on the road to Jerusalem—to be ever ready to face temptations, difficulties, and trials. To refuse the demands inherent in one’s vocation is to risk living a life of perpetual frustration; to embrace one’s God-given vocation opens the way to joy and contentment.
As we rise from sleep each day, as we go about our daily activities, as we mingle with the whole of creation, and as we retire home to rest, let every single action and activity become a sacrifice—an act of worship offered to God. If Paul puts the two words together, “sacrifice” and “worship,” it is because he knows that the two belong together, for worship is the human response to divine beneficence.
Only the person who is grateful for having been created by God can truly worship God as an expression of gratitude. Only the person who is at home with himself or herself can offer his or her body as a living sacrifice to God. In order to keep moving, faith gives us the confidence that God did not make a mistake in creating us. In order to keep moving through life, we must find our meaning in God. God cannot simply be one option among many; he must become indispensable in our lives.
Indeed, Jesus was sure of his destination—Jerusalem. No wonder he rebuked Peter for attempting to obstruct his journey. He was at peace with his destiny, even though it involved suffering, because he knew that the only way to save one’s life is to lose it for God. He was steadfast in his mission because he knew that his resurrection was certain.
Hence, if there is one message that today’s liturgy wants us to take home, it is found in our second reading, especially for those of us who struggle to carry our crosses:
“Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect” (Rom 12:2).
We will learn to face suffering, our crosses, and betrayals differently only when we remodel our thinking according to God’s wisdom and abandon the ways of the world. Yes, we will keep moving—sometimes crawling because our crosses are heavy, sometimes running because our obstacles are light, and sometimes flying because God carries us on eagle’s wings.
Despite our sorrows, one thing is certain: we will keep moving when we have faith in God and believe that he journeys with us, even when we complain about our lot in life.
By all means, keep moving!
Assignment for the Week:
Give yourself a treat this week as a way of appreciating yourself as a masterpiece of God’s creation.