Is it possible to place ourselves in the sandals of St. Peter? From his perspective (in Matthew 16, 21-27), the one who fed the multitudes, who calmed the water, who drove out evil spirits, and who broke down social barriers by healing the daughter of a Canaanite woman is now the one who will suffer and be put to death. Is it hard for us to see that for St. Peter this doesn’t make much sense?
Centuries later, this still does not match our idea of what a Savior or Messiah should do any more than it did for St. Peter – who was obviously not the only person who has ever struggled to understand the mind of God. Jesus had all the power imaginable at His disposal. Why would He not use it in His own defense? That question is the key.
Jesus’ power is meant for the building up of the Kingdom of God, not for His own comfort, safety or protection. The Gospel never says that Jesus gallantly steps forward and takes suffering upon Himself. Instead, His fate will be a demonstration of His humility and His vulnerability. He will be taken forcibly and will suffer at the hands of others. He will do this willingly, but not as a volunteer. Jesus will be a victim.
In Jesus’ behavior, in His obedience, and in His vulnerability He teaches us about the use of power and privilege. He challenges us to set aside “worldly” thoughts and to begin to think as God thinks. Denying one’s self, for example, as Jesus demands, means that we are no longer the sole and only center of our attention, but rather that we have placed Him at the center of our lives. When that begins to happen, the Kingdom of God will be near at hand!
