Page 91 - The Gonzaga Record 1985
P. 91
with Jesus.
Jesus responded to Peter's understanding both forcefully and dramatically. In
front of the other apostles, Jesus likened Peter to Satan tempting him in the desert
to be the wrong kind of Messiah; a Messiah who performs spectacular deeds like
leaping from a parapet and pulling off a fantastic rescue so that people would
believe him (Mt 16:23).
Another example of Peter's failure to come to terms with Jesus's true identity
was highlighted during the Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36). Peter, in calling for the
erection of three tents senses the presence of God and wants to capture it.
However, in coupling Jesus with Moses and Elijah, he misses the whole point; that
Jesus is God incarnate, and that God's presence is to be found in Jesus's word.
In Luke 4, we fmd the apostles quibbling as to who was the greatest amongst
them. This pettiness had arisen from their failure to understand Jesus's word
concerning the passion, and that it would be the source of all power over evil - 'But
they didn't understand him when he said this; it was hidden from them so that they
should not see the meaning of it, and they were afraid to ask him about what he had
just said' (Luke 4:45).
The disciples' opinion of Jesus's identity and mission was fully spelled out by
themselves during 'the journey to Emmaus'. In this incident on the same day as
Jesus's resurrection, two of Jesus's followers were journeying to a village called
Emmaus, talking about Jesus and what had recently happened. Then Jesus
appeared beside them and walked with them, questioning them about himself.
Failing to recognize him and caught in a vortex of disillusionment, they focussed
on their own hopes concerning Jesus. His prophetic might before God and all the
people had led them to believe that he was the one who would redeem Israel. For
the disciples, Jesus had thus been like a new Moses, but the new Moses had not
been expected to die and their own understanding of Jesus had not included
suffering and death.
They had been unable to perceive who Jesus really was. It is only then, after
Jesus's resurrection, that their minds would finally be opened to understanding
what had been concealed from them. In Luke 24, perplexed and terrified women,
despondent travellers to Emmaus and dumbfounded apostles are all given the same
insight into the mystery of Jesus's death and resurrection; these events were the
fulfllment of promises foretold in the scriptures long ago. But it had taken the
appearances of the Risen Lord and his explanation of God's plan for him in the
scriptures to convince the apostles that he was the Risen Messiah. They had failed
to consider the many texts which referred to the suffering and death of the Christ of
God - 'Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter
into his glory?'
Jesus's true identity and the truth which he had preached and lived had thus even
escaped his own chosen apostles. Their background had seen God as a God who
could neither be seen, touched nor heard. Although they had tried as well as they
could have to identify Jesus by using Old Testament terms, they had not been able
to identify him properly as God incarnate nor as a 'suffering servant.' Indeed this
truth is is the challenge which abides for all Christians of every age in search of the
real identity and mission of Jesus.
Patrick Kennedy (S.4)
83
Jesus responded to Peter's understanding both forcefully and dramatically. In
front of the other apostles, Jesus likened Peter to Satan tempting him in the desert
to be the wrong kind of Messiah; a Messiah who performs spectacular deeds like
leaping from a parapet and pulling off a fantastic rescue so that people would
believe him (Mt 16:23).
Another example of Peter's failure to come to terms with Jesus's true identity
was highlighted during the Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36). Peter, in calling for the
erection of three tents senses the presence of God and wants to capture it.
However, in coupling Jesus with Moses and Elijah, he misses the whole point; that
Jesus is God incarnate, and that God's presence is to be found in Jesus's word.
In Luke 4, we fmd the apostles quibbling as to who was the greatest amongst
them. This pettiness had arisen from their failure to understand Jesus's word
concerning the passion, and that it would be the source of all power over evil - 'But
they didn't understand him when he said this; it was hidden from them so that they
should not see the meaning of it, and they were afraid to ask him about what he had
just said' (Luke 4:45).
The disciples' opinion of Jesus's identity and mission was fully spelled out by
themselves during 'the journey to Emmaus'. In this incident on the same day as
Jesus's resurrection, two of Jesus's followers were journeying to a village called
Emmaus, talking about Jesus and what had recently happened. Then Jesus
appeared beside them and walked with them, questioning them about himself.
Failing to recognize him and caught in a vortex of disillusionment, they focussed
on their own hopes concerning Jesus. His prophetic might before God and all the
people had led them to believe that he was the one who would redeem Israel. For
the disciples, Jesus had thus been like a new Moses, but the new Moses had not
been expected to die and their own understanding of Jesus had not included
suffering and death.
They had been unable to perceive who Jesus really was. It is only then, after
Jesus's resurrection, that their minds would finally be opened to understanding
what had been concealed from them. In Luke 24, perplexed and terrified women,
despondent travellers to Emmaus and dumbfounded apostles are all given the same
insight into the mystery of Jesus's death and resurrection; these events were the
fulfllment of promises foretold in the scriptures long ago. But it had taken the
appearances of the Risen Lord and his explanation of God's plan for him in the
scriptures to convince the apostles that he was the Risen Messiah. They had failed
to consider the many texts which referred to the suffering and death of the Christ of
God - 'Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter
into his glory?'
Jesus's true identity and the truth which he had preached and lived had thus even
escaped his own chosen apostles. Their background had seen God as a God who
could neither be seen, touched nor heard. Although they had tried as well as they
could have to identify Jesus by using Old Testament terms, they had not been able
to identify him properly as God incarnate nor as a 'suffering servant.' Indeed this
truth is is the challenge which abides for all Christians of every age in search of the
real identity and mission of Jesus.
Patrick Kennedy (S.4)
83
