Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
James 2: 1-9; Mark 8: 27-33
Dc. Larry Brockman
Just who are you? Are you who you appear to be? Or are you are wearing a mask and a disguise? The real “you” is probably someone other than the image you try to project for yourself. The real you is who God wants you to be; and that is usually not the person you want to be. And so, we all wear disguises that show us in the light that we want to be shown rather than who we really are.
This morning’s First reading speaks to how we see others rather than how we see ourselves. But the masks and disguises we all wear complicate the matter. Because not only do we hide who we are; we also help others to hide themselves. We find it easier to welcome people who wear a mask that fits them into the world’s accepted categories than it is to encourage people who are God centered.
James hits the nail on the head. He says that the rich are the ones who oppress us! And yet these are the same people we honor over the folks who are just being themselves, living God’s will for them and not putting on airs. How ironic, and foolish that is.
And you know what, things haven’t changed. Today’s most popular masks are worn by sports figures, entertainment personalities, and politicians. We give them top billing; and we seem to honor them above the common folk. But you know what? These roles they play are not who they really are. For, as gifted as they may be as athletes or politicians or actors; God’s view of who they really should be is probably very different. Drugs and suicide demonstrate just how unhappy these people can be when they mask who they really are.
Jesus shows us just how different God’s plan for who we are really is from the worldly image of who we want to be. Jesus was the Messiah. In the world’s view, the Messiah would be popular, having great power; but he would also be rich, well dressed, and the image of the top of Society. That’s what the Jews were looking for – a worldly “leader” with wealth, power, and a dazzling image.
But Jesus was poor, a simple carpenter, dressed as a peasant. He had no power in the worldly sense; and his popularity waned quickly when the authorities arrested him. Not only that, he suffered greatly and was put to a humiliating death. Yet Jesus knew who he was because he knew God’s mission for him. That was who he really was- a slave to the will of God, dedicated to spreading a way of life based on living God’s way in our hearts. The Gospel shows us just how that life should be led- loving people, putting others first, and keeping the commandments.
In this morning’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples exactly what that means in worldly terms for him. It is something they didn’t want to hear, as Peter demonstrates. But Jesus was telling the truth; he was being real. All of us face the same challenge. God is calling us for something; but we are disguised as something else. We are just a few weeks away from Lent. Do yourself a favor. Take off your mask. And take the time this Lent to find out who you really are.