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A Reflection from the Fuel Daily Readings App for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time. Click here to read the reading.
Jesus’ movement has been towards Jerusalem, and what awaits Jesus at Jerusalem is his death. In our Gospel today, Mark points to the passion as the climax of Jesus’ public ministry. Jesus tells his disciples about the coming of the Son of Man in glory; a glory that will not come unless the Son of Man goes through his death and then experiences resurrection.
Over and over again, Jesus points to his passion and death as the natural road to his Messiahship, and many times his disciples have failed to understand him through that lens as the Messiah who will have to die. The point is that we cannot understand Jesus and his mission apart from his passion and resurrection. His sacrifice on the cross becomes the ultimate sacrifice of all time, doing away the sacrifice of bulls and calves offered yearly that couldn’t take away sins forever. The animal sacrifices were only a reminder of people’s sins.
Jesus understands that the Old Testament sacrifices did not remit the sins of the world. He, therefore, offers himself as the One-Single-Ultimate sacrifice for all. This brought about a new covenant, a covenant that is founded on his blood, and a covenant that brings a new life made perfect in him.
We are not able to participate in this new life, so God adopts us as his own, calling us children of God by virtue of the blood of his Son Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are the adopted children of God. This is our status now, this is our new life in Christ, and this is who we are as Children of God.
If this is our status, then this is also our starting point.
We live like children of God knowing that all things will always work for our good because God has chosen us from the beginning. If in any way the enemy wants you to doubt God’s love for you, remind yourself of your status as God’s child. You may go through trials and persecution, it doesn’t dispute God’s love for you because God let his only Son suffer and die. His death was only a set-up for resurrection. With faith, we believe that everything that happens in our life is a set-up for resurrection.
This is the power of the Gospel.
Therefore, any attempt to sideline the passion of Christ will be tantamount to preaching a Christ who was never crucified. We preach Christ who is crucified and who has called us to experience death that will lead to resurrection. That is the sacrifice for a new life. If we skip the sacrifice, we will not get to experience significance in our lives.
+ Lord Jesus Christ, you went through your passion to give me new life as a child of God. Help me to not lose sight of you even when I’m going through difficulties in my life. Sustain me with grace and strength, and help me to live from the status as one who has been redeemed by your blood. Amen.