Reflections

Peter found it difficult to accept that the mission of Jesus would end with the cross and crucifixion. He did not see why pain and suffering were necessary for discipleship. He was against at the idea that such should take place. He thought that being part of the kingdom was a matter of success. He had yet to learn that the standards of Christ were not those of power and privilege. The outcome was a reprimand from Jesus who cautioned him against embracing the standards of the world.

The choice of Peter as head of the church is an example of the power of God at work, using the weak things of this world to confound the strong. Before his encounter with Christ, Peter's life had little meaning. Perhaps by human standards he was a disastrous choice and should never been appointed. He can be hardly described as a stable person because at times he was brave while on other occasions he displayed cowardice.

This is one of the rare occasions when we find Jesus in conversation with a woman who is not only a Gentile and a pagan but belongs to a nation noted for its traditional hostility to the Jewish people. Totally convinced that Jesus can be of assistance in a hopeless situation, the Canaanite woman comes forward, kneels at His feet and asks for her daughter to be cured. The disciples, embarrassed and unable to cope with her cry of desperation, want Jesus to send her away as quickly as possible. Nevertheless Jesus does not regard this as an obstacle.

When confronted with stress and pressure of various kinds, we are very much like Peter. A sudden turn of events in life and we are faced with storms which threaten the peace and security of our homes and families. We need to hear those encouraging words of Christ, 'Don't be afraid.' Peter's mistake was that he turned to Jesus in real prayer only in a moment of crisis when he was paralysed by fear and in danger of drowning. We are reminded particularly those who tend to forget about God when all is going well and who only become serious about prayer when problems and tragedies surface.

Jesus did not feed the stranded crowd at the edge of the Sea of Galilee all on His own. He accomplished it with the help of His disciples who were reluctant to accept responsibility for the hungry people. Challenged by Jesus to use their own resources, they remembered having five loaves and two fishes which they brought to Him. The little they had when placed in the hands of Jesus turned out to be more than enough for all. In our own eyes it may seem of little account but it is what the Lord has given us and expects us to use in his service.

The treasure the gospel is referring to is our faith which tells us we are heirs to the kingdom of God. It is important and valuable that everybody must give it absolute priority. At the end of the day nothing else matters because worldly values are destined to faint into insignificance. Our search should not be superficial happiness but to develop a good relationship with God. Such a treasure can be found in ordinary places.

Christ compares the church, the people of God, to a field where wheat and weeds grow side by side until the harvest. In the world around us, good and bad people mix like wheat and weeds growing in the same field. Every human heart contains a mixture of good and evil. The church is not an exclusive community of the virtuous. It is here because we are looking for salvation and we are conscious of our failings. The emphasis of the gospel is on exercising patience until God makes his great gathering. In the meantime, we all share the task of revealing the patience of God by forgiving the faults of others. Many of us will find this challenging as we may be harsh or judgemental by nature. It's so easy to pin people with the label 'sinner', forgetting how appearance are so often deceptive.

Jesus compares the word of God, intended to produce fruit in our lives, to seed sowed in the earth by the farmer. The seed of the word of God is first planted in our hearts. If it doesn't get our whole hearted attention in our lives, it withers and dies. Growth in the life of Christ is not always a smooth and straightforward process. The different types of soil can be the varied response we make to His word depending on the twists and turns of life. When we meet with disappointments and setbacks, obstacles may pile up against our good intentions and weakens our choices. Moments like this call for deep faith. No matter what the situation, we have to struggle to believe.

In this day and age, as the problems and worries of the moment overpower us, we all find life difficult and discouraging. As the signs of stress and tension become visible on our faces, we listen to those reassuring and comforting words of Jesus - 'Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest.' In the middle of trying situations he seems to invite us to come to him with our worries saying all will be well.

In an age when people are growing further apart, there is a greater need for friendliness than ever before, and the traditional value of hospitality is once more being rediscovered. Hospitality is regarded as a sacred duty and the equivalent of welcoming the Lord himself. The gospel reminds us that all small ways of giving and caring, even act of kindness, like the giving of a cup of water to a stranger in our doorstep, will win God's favour and result in a great blessing. The world we live in is crying out for small acts of kindness which cost little but are sadly missing, like a smile, a word of appreciation or a phone call.