You just have to love Peter. Sure, he is blunt. Sure, he is thick headed. But he is honest with Jesus and Jesus responds.
Peter seems to be looking back to his roots as a fisherman. He was a working man who took care of his family. The fruits of his labor could be counted and stored away for a future need. In today’s Gospel, Peter appears to be having a touch of cold feet. All of a sudden, the future seems unsure, unclear. “We have given up everything and followed you,” he says. Is he asking for an answer about what is next?
What Jesus promises is a radical shift. He redirects Peter from worrying about his future to focusing on the coming good, the common good. They are building the Kingdom of God where the order of things is not like the order of things in this world.
For us, Jesus is not asking us to turn our backs on our responsibilities. On the contrary, if we have built our lives on God’s will, we will have responsibilities which will help us do our part in building His kingdom. But as we do that, as we meet responsibilities, as we work toward the greater good, which is the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth, we are to do so with generosity of spirit.
We have the freedom to work together in God’s plan. That freedom comes at a cost. There will be suffering, there will be persecutions, and there will be heartache but God repays a hundredfold. He is not to be outdone in generosity. Whatever widow’s mite of good we can do, God will return to us greatly increased. Increased by the community we build together here, increased by what comes after this life.
Not only that, we can ask God’s grace. We are not in this alone! We should not be dismayed when things don’t go our way, because we are confident that there is a greater good at work. We can seek out and develop relationships with like-minded people who are also committed to working for God’s purpose. We can cultivate a community where we are focused not on what is next for ourselves, but what is next for all those whom God loves.
For those times when we relate to Peter’s cold feet, when we start to put our concerns about our personal well-being first and the future seems unclear, we can follow Peter’s example and go to Jesus in all honesty. “Lord, I have given up everything and followed you.” God will respond. He cannot be outdone in generosity.
Daily Reading
Second Sunday of Lent
Reading I Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18 The Lord God took Abram outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so,” he added, “shall…
Saint of the Day
Second Sunday of Lent
Reading I Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18 The Lord God took Abram outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so,” he added, “shall…