Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
† Sunday 17th September 2000

Cycle of Prayer: The Spread of the Gospel

Theme: Discipleship requires courage in time of trial.

A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah 50: 5 - 9
This text forms part of the series of texts known as the Song of the Suffering Servant. Today it provides a suitable introduction to the events described for us in the Gospel passage of this day. The ‘disciple’ or ‘servant’ is the one who has heard the teaching, and taken it to heart. Then this true disciple suffers rejection, humiliation, even unjustly arraigned before the courts and falsely accused. Yet despite this persecution the true disciple is confident, “The Lord God comes to my help...I am untouched by the insults...The Lord God is coming to my help.”

Second reading from the Letter of James 2: 14 - 18
In a very direct manner, James sets out the nature of faith. “You say you have faith and I have good deeds; I will prove to you that I have faith by showing you my good deeds - now you prove to me that you have faith without any good deeds to show.” There are many ways in which we believers can give witness, and share our Christian faith. In giving a cup of water,by sharing our bread, or by visiting the sick or those in prison. In hundreds of practical ways, grand or small, we can show Christ’s love to the world today, and in some dark place, let the light of faith shine.

Gospel according to Mark 8: 27 - 35
“Who do people say I am?” asks Jesus. An almost timeless question, facing each of us today, and one which each of us may answer as we will. Many commentators on the gospel of Mark, see this passage as pivotal to the whole gospel. This was the question that Mark was posing to his readership and at the same time providing the answer, in the words of Peter, “You are the Christ!” What the first disciples had yet to understand fully, was that their own First Century view of the Messiah King, was incomplete, and that ‘the Christ,’ would be rejected, put to death, and then after three days rise again. The disciples had yet to see that the image of the Suffering Servant from the Old Testament would only find true meaning in the final days of their Master, Jesus. Like the Master himself, we too are invited to stand up and be counted, and in the front of our peers, and before those who might be inclined to poke fun at us, to answer that timeless Jesus question, “Who do you say I am?”

© Peter Harrison 2000

Liturgical Note:
Harvest Thanksgiving
Many pastoral communities, to mark the bringing in of the harvest hold special celebrations next Sunday, or at some other convenient time.