Reflection for September 26 Friday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 9:18-22

Gospel: Luke 9:18-22

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

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Reflection:

Why does Jesus always remind His disciples about His impending sufferings? Why not keep His coming sufferings only to Himself? Come to think of it, if Jesus had concealed His suffering from His disciples, He could have attracted more followers. But Jesus did not lie to them; He did not sugarcoat His words to attract them. He was brutally honest, and He laid everything down before them. 

Many of us don’t want to talk about sufferings when following Jesus. Yet the moment we take away sufferings, there is no more authentic discipleship. This is because discipleship without going through suffering is false discipleship. 

How could we truly see Jesus if we never experienced pain and suffering? How could we know Him more deeply if we were not willing to endure trials for His sake? If we say that we follow Jesus and yet we are afraid of suffering, then we are not truly His followers. We are simply bystanders who care little about His mission. 

As they say, “No pain, no gain.” If we relate this to our discipleship with Jesus, it now becomes: “No pain, no date in Heaven with Jesus.” 

Suffering is never easy, but it is the path that shapes us into authentic disciples. It is through the cross that we are drawn closer to Christ, and it is in our sacrifices that we begin to taste the sweetness of His love. 

Are you willing to embrace suffering for the sake of Jesus, or will you choose the easier path and miss the eternal joy of being with Him? – Marino J. Dasmarinas