‘What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not”; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, “I go, sir”; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.’ Matthew 21:28-31

Betty was unsure about woman’s ordination. Although she was a deep thinker on matters spiritual, her convictions on this subject were not theologically motivated. By her own admissions, she just did not feel comfortable with the idea. Obviously, this was some time ago when the local Anglican diocese was getting ready to ordain its first woman priest. The potential candidate had preached on several occasions in our parish and Betty really liked her. She believed that she would make an excellent priest. It would simplistic to say that Betty was being hypocritical. I would never say that about her. She was a very coherent person. On the day of this seminarian’s ordination, Betty was unable to attend due to distance and health. She handed me a gift for this candidate on her behalf. Betty lived on a limited income but saved up to give this person a costly stole. The seminarian never knew that Betty had reservations about her ordination. All she knew was this elderly missionary was very supportive and loving and always desired her success as a priest.

Betty has left an indelible mark in our lives. I talked about her so often that all my friends feel like they know her. She passed away ten years ago. Before we returned to Brazil this time, she told us firmly that we need to receive our instructions from the Holy Spirit; wise words which always remain with me. She came as a missionary to Brazil on the year that I was born. She hated it the moment she came here. She told her husband that she was not going to stay for more than two weeks but ended up spending the rest of her life here. Her ashes together with her husband’s are scattered in the church’s grounds where I first served as an ordained minister. She never claimed to be a theologian nor expert in liturgical matters but she taught me how to preach an interesting sermon and perform my liturgical duties. She was a person who always said “Yes” even though many times her first answer was “No”. Owing to the fact that she always listened to the Holy Spirit. People who listen to the Holy Spirit come in all shapes and forms. They are people who act in obedience but sometimes they might be compelled to say, “No” for unknown reasons. Eventually, something motivates them to go out into the world and say Yes to God. Without a doubt, Betty was this kind of person. Everyone who met her will acknowledge it. Consequently, she continues to live in us even though she had left this life a long time ago. It is because she invested in something which rust can’t destroy and thieves can’t steal. She gave herself to something eternal and it lives forever in us.

The Pharisees lived in a world of doctrines and traditions. They believed that these were based on the wisdom of sound religious teachers and helped them live their lives in harmony with the Law. In their eyes, Jesus violated not only these things but they believed that He was an enemy of the Law of God. His actions were not on par with their theories. They wanted to know who or what gave Him the authority to act in this manner. It is easy for us to judge the Pharisees and say that they were hard hearted people who refused to see and listen to the gospel. In reality, we are more like the Pharisees than Jesus. Naturally all of us like to imagine that we follow Jesus in these matters. However, the truth is there is a Pharisee living in all of us. I don’t mean that we are deliberately hypocritical neither were the Pharisees. I would say that we are inconsistent or incoherent. The problem is this mindset entraps us in a bubble of traditions and doctrines that it deprives of a genuine understanding of God’s Law.

“For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6

The Pharisees created a world in their minds where people are divided the into two groups, one deserving of God’s Love and the other of punishment. This simplistic view of life was so important to them because it justified their hostile actions and attitudes towards their unsavory neighbors. Nevertheless, it is a world which doesn’t exist except in their heads. Jesus, on the other hand, engaged in the real world where people are complex personalities. He didn’t divide people into categories but treated them as individuals. He listened and understood them as individual people who were trying to find their way in this broken world. Jesus interpreted the Law in the context of this world and brought forth the message of the good news. Jesus understood that the essence of the Law is mercy, compassion and a true knowledge of God. This knowledge is none other than what was succinctly expressed by one of His disciples, “God is Love.”

In our ministry, we have to constantly fight the Pharisees in us. We go to the streets carrying our baggage of values and doctrines which we believe hold the world together. Clearly, this is just an illusion. We could have remained in this illusionary world by limiting our engagement with life to people who share our similar doctrines and traditions. The Pharisees did this and it was these convictions which motivated them to instigate the eventual trial and death of our Lord. Therefore, it is not just a question of holding onto our opinions here. Being insistent in certain things can lead to our own self destruction. However, there are many things in us so ingrained that they are hard to discard. Thankfully, for our own understanding of God’s love and salvation, God called us to minister to our children and teens.

A teenage girl challenged all our ideas about good and proper parenting. We found her attitude to be so disturbing that it hindered us from having a relationship with her. She was a mother to a young toddler but hardly gave him any attention. Instead she would abandon her child to her grandmother’s care who is also homeless. Then she would spend most of her time with the other children, many times sniffing paint thinner. There were so many doctrines that we believed to be important and precious being violated by this young girl. We were even upset with the grandmother for enabling such behavior. Consequently, it took us some years to warm up to this girl and her mother. Yes, it was a question of years.

The young child became seriously ill and was hospitalized. The grandmother asked us for prayers. This simple incident opened our eyes to see something we had overlooked previously. The girl and her mother really loved the child as best as they could. They come from a different reality and did not have the privilege and experience we had to know how to care for the child the way we would. The grandmother was abandoned as a child. The mother was born into homelessness. For them, ensuring the young toddler is never abandoned or alone is a hundred percent more than what they have ever received. The grandmother told us much later that she believes that her young daughter will eventually grow into her role as a mother. The girl was too young to have her first child. She was only 14 but it has happened. The grandmother dealt with the situation with love and compassion. She did not judge her daughter based on doctrines or theories. According to the wisdom of Betty, the grandmother received her instructions from the Spirit.

The seminarian never learned that Betty was unsure about woman’s ordination. Frankly speaking, no one knew about it. Betty did not deny the fact that she was brought up with certain doctrines and traditions which made it difficult to accept certain things. However, she was a person who engaged in the world. She opened her heart to people of all sorts and conditions. She listened to the voice of the Spirit and acted accordingly. The Spirit is present in our midst to reveal the person of Jesus. Jesus came to show love, compassion and mercy to everyone including those of us who recognize that we are nothing but sinners lost in this world. Until we recognize this of ourselves, we will never be able to recognize the authority of Jesus. Our hearts and minds were closed to the instructions of Jesus. Betty found a way to overcome this. She listened to the Voice of the Spirit and it gave the strength to say “Yes” despite her initial “No”. Thank you, Betty.

But he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?” So the last will be first, and the first will be last. Matthew 20:13-16

We were playing a game of Uno and Taina was losing all the rounds. Sabrina, on the contrary, was dominating the game completely. Then, to the surprise of everyone, Taina made a comeback and ended up winning the entire game. Sabrina laughed and remarked, “you see the last shall be first.” For some reason, these words resonated strongly with me at that moment. It was not just the fact that they were from the gospels. I was surprised how they came out of Sabrina so naturally. She must have pondered them at one point in her life. She is not someone who grew up in a church. She did not even have a proper family. They rejected her at a young age. She was always the last in life. These words must have comforted her. They are truly purveyors of the good news for her. Sabrina recognizes this truth even in the simplest things like a game of Uno. She lost the game but knowing that someone whom she loved would share in her joy was much more important. She was happy that the last came in first.

Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Most of the time, people are bitter and angry when the last becomes first unless they are the ones benefitting from being the last.

Jesus, in this parable, is addressing a sin not talked about very often. Most likely, it is such a common sin. Whatever conditions in life we find ourselves, this sin is ever present. Perhaps this is the reason why we don’t consider it to be a sin. We tend to think something that everyone does is normal. Jesus often confronts what is so called “normal sin” in each of us in his parables. We, on the hand, feel very comfortable challenging the sins of others but avoid our own discrepancies. It is time to address this sin; the sin of envy, but you cannot address envy without talking about covetousness. They belong together.

This sin is not about desiring what our neighbors possess. It is more about desiring what we do not have. Sometimes we desire something that we do not need but just because someone else has it. Envy also makes us disgruntled when someone possesses the same things we have. In our context, the youth who engage in thievery do not do it because they need the money. Even those who use drugs don’t need money to buy them. Many times the youth tell us that it is easier for them to get drugs for free than food. Food, clothes, and drugs can be obtained without committing any crime. A vast majority of the children and teens do not engage in criminal activities. They survive fairly well just by begging and the older ones do odd jobs here and there to get what they need or want. Those who steal do it because they succumb to the devious pleasure of depriving people of things which they themselves do not possess. However, by no means am I saying that these youths are especially diabolic. I would say that they are more like the rest of humanity.

Politicians recognize this attitude in people and make use of it to their advantage. They stir up hatred and displeasure in vast majority of people claiming that the “last” in our society are getting special benefits which they don’t deserve. Even though a vast majority of the people don’t need these benefits, it upsets them that the “last” are receiving them. People get envious that certain groups want the same rights as them, or that the younger generation has a better life than they did. Naturally, all these attitudes are disguised in reasonable arguments appearing virtuous to those who harbor such sentiments. Just like in the parable, the first laborers had some good arguments. They were there first and worked hard all day long. Logically, they deserved more than the last. I have used this argument several times myself in the depth of my heart but never openly. I know deep down that there is something intrinsically wrong with it. There is something deeper and diabolic hiding behind all these arguments. This is so dangerous that we need to constantly exorcise it from our lives.

A not-so famous theologian, Jacques Ellul, once argued that all the Ten Commandments serve to protect us against one sin which is covetousness. This was considered a controversial statement, unfortunately, only by a small section of the Christian community. In order to recognize the weight of this statement, we have to recognize the sin. Like I mentioned before, it is not something commonly addressed. Nevertheless, it is present in our souls just as it was in the souls of our first parents, Adam and Eve. All it took was a serpent to quicken it. The first humans coveted God’s power. They were convinced that they deserved more although they were lacking in nothing. Tradition also tells us that the sin of the fallen angel was covetousness. He was convinced that he deserved more although he was considered the most beautiful angel. We always think that we deserve more than what is given to us. Most likely we will never admit this openly, at least, I wouldn’t. Covetousness is something that everyone harbors but rarely anyone admits to having such sentiments.

In reality, none of us deserve anything. Everything we have is a gift. Some of us received more but we definitely don’t deserve it. Others received less and they don’t deserve it either. Until we recognize this, we will never be satisfied. We will never be happy. We will never understand the grace and generosity of God. We won’t be able to look beyond ourselves. Bitterness and hatred will dominate our hearts and minds. By no means, I am saying that we should not seek to better our lives or fight for our rights. This is the not the issue addressed in the parable. The issue is covetous, or rather, thinking that God is obliged to give us more than what we have.

Sabrina is not immune to this sin. She took pleasure in the victory of her friend. However, this attitude is not restricted to a game. She is deeply aware of those who are last. Once we saw her give some food to a homeless adult in the streets. She was hungry and she got some food from a passerby. In the streets, homeless adults bear the weight of society’s disdain more heavily than the youth. People are not so generous with them. Sabrina noticed a hungry homeless adult and shared her food with him. However, she coveted things too. Momentarily, she gave in to this sin. She dated a boy who robbed people mercilessly. He would steal the gold chains from elderly women, something which is prohibited by the local gang. Unfortunately, he did not care and Sabrina dated him for a while. She enjoyed the things she received from his spoils. However, there came a day when she could not turn a blind eye to the victims. Her identification with the last was so strong that she could not overlook the cruelty of the crime. She ended the relationship and found a way to get out of the streets. She has been gone for a while but she has definitely left a strong mark in us.

The sin of envy is strong in us. However, it can be overcome. Jesus did not just address the issue without leaving us without an answer. A casual reading of the gospel will give us the answer. Jesus always identified with the last. He spent time with the last. His disciples were from the groups that were considered the last. In the temple, when all eyes were on the first, Jesus noticed a widow giving a small but precious offering. Even at the Cross, Jesus took the path of the last. He could have appealed to power and authority to save Himself from the all humiliation and degradation but He chose the path which the last of this world tread.

The way to overcome this dangerous sin of envy is not to feed it. The best way to starve it is to walk the path Jesus has shown us. We don’t have to give up everything to serve the poor or the last of this world. We can start by recognizing that we don’t deserve the things we have. Then we can move forward to understand how we can use these things we have to participate in God’s generosity and love. I am convinced that this will help us to understand and rejoice in the words, “the last will be first” and we won’t be upset that “the first will be last” because none of us deserve to be first nor last.

Then his lord summoned him and said to him, “You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow-slave, as I had mercy on you?” And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he should pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart. Matthew 18:32-35

Bruna did not speak to us for a whole year, maybe even more than that. By then, the issue which triggered everything seemed trivial and irrelevant. It was over something banal to start off with but apparently not for her. It was because of a letter, which was a good thing in itself. Someone from Florida wrote to her on her birthday. I was reading it to her and was a little annoyed that she was sniffing paint thinner while listening. I asked her to put it away. Unexpectedly, she grabbed the letter from my hand and stuffed it into her bag and gave me the silent treatment for a year. She spoke to Mary once in a while. However, since we are a package deal, eventually she avoided us altogether. Another teen told me that she held a grudge with him over something trivial for years. Finally, one day she came over and started talking to us as if nothing had happened. She tried to act as if everything was back to normal. She continues to be affectionate with us. However, we know that we cannot be her true friend. There is a barrier between us. Our relationship can never go beyond the superficial.

Some might say that Bruna acted like a spoiled or pampered child. Her life tells a different story. It is not different from the many in the streets. Her childhood was one of neglect and abandonment. She spent some time in a Catholic convent. I would say that it was most probably the best period of her life. She went to school there. She claims that she even studied Latin. I am not sure about that. However, I think she was exposed to many possibilities there. It was perhaps the richest moment of her life. Unfortunately, it did not last. No one knows why. She will never tell anyone the truth about it. We see her often in the streets but her loneliness and isolation are more noticeable now. There is no one easy solution for her predicament and suffering. However, forgiveness can be the first step in the path of healing.

The parable of the unforgiving servant from the above gospel text is quite disturbing in many levels. However, the most troubling part is the end when Jesus says that we are subjected to punishment and torment if we do not forgive from our heart. It almost sounds as if Jesus is resorting to fear mongering to convince us to toe the line. It might seem that way but we need to interpret the words of Jesus according to His personhood. Jesus never uses fear as a teaching tool. Our leaders, political and religious, use fear as an effective means of controlling people. However, Jesus was never like the authorities of this world. Jesus confronted reality as it presents itself. It is impossible for us to understand God’s grace and love if we refuse to forgive someone. Consequently, we subject ourselves to the pain and torment which comes with being unforgiving. Bruna’s little problem with us was not due to the trivial matter which triggered it. It is something deeper. It is rooted in her traumatic past. There is no way we can undo this in her life. However, she can be free from it if she forgives from her heart. It is not going resolve everything but it will open her heart to receive and perceive wonderful and beautiful things.

It would be easy for me from the outside to tell Bruna that she should forgive. I have never experienced the things she had experienced. From a young age, she was convinced that being homeless was better than all the alternatives life had offered to her. I have never been in such a position. I had many more options and living and sleeping in the streets was never one. For me personally, forgiveness, many times, is merely a question of “let bygones be bygones”, however, for our children and teens, it is forgiving people who have damaged and ruined their whole lives. They awaiting for some sort of justice; not because they seek revenge. They desire it because they want the world or the universe to recognize that they are innocent victims. Some might say something disparaging like this is a victim mentality. Besides adding insult to injury, this statement does not provide any productive nor creative insight. Our children want to be healed and they believe that perhaps some sort of justice might be the beginning of it.

We do not have to be homeless like our children and teens to appreciate this. We want some sort of justice when we see or hear about something which has upset the personal order of our lives. We want justice so that things can go back to normal or restore our sense of order. In this world, we are taught that the only way justice can be fulfilled is through some sort of punitive measure where the offender is forced to recognize the error of one’s ways. Sometimes we bring our idea of forgiveness within this framework. At best, we say that we will only forgive if the offending party is remorseful and repentant; at worse, we want them to suffer for the consequence for their actions. However, the gospel is proposing something completely different. Jesus forgave all those who wronged Him even when they were mocking Him while He did this. He did not wait for them to repent or be remorseful. He forgave them and asked God not to hold them accountable for the murder of God Incarnate. There can not be anything worse than this crime. However, Jesus came to establish justice in this world. It is different from the punitive justice as the world offers. Definitely, it is more effective. For starters, it truly heals the victims and restores their dignity. Punitive justice just creates more victims and despair. However, I am not advocating that we abolish the penal system or anything like that. Those are completely different issues and deserve their own discussions. I am saying here is that Jesus is our example and He forgives unconditionally.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

Forgiving someone does not mean that we stop seeking justice. It does not mean that we stop acknowledging the wrong which has been done to us. It means that we put aside the world’s way of dealing with injustice and embrace the New Life Jesus is offering to us. The purpose of justice is to restore and heal. Being unforgiving keeps us captive in the situation which robbed us of our peace and stability. The parable of the servant is a tragic tale which happens much too frequently in society. It happens with families. It destroys lifelong friendships. Worse of all, it destroys us. It prevents us from living a full life. It hinders us from receiving salvation and the biblical meaning of salvation is healing.

Once a homeless youth asked me if I would be able to forgive someone who tries to destroy my life. He told me that honestly he was not sure if he could do it. I thought about it. I told him that our nature is to protect ourselves even if it means harming the person who tries to hurt us. However, I have to decide to forgive if I want to live my life fully. I was honest with him. I told him that I do not know how I would act at the precise moment but I do want to forgive. The boy was surprised. He thought that everyone wants revenge to right a wrong done to them. He is right. In many situations, we can be justified feeling this way. However, it is not going to bring healing to our lives. It will bring a series of sickness and eventually death but never joy and fulfillment.

I thought about his question more. Then I remembered many years ago, perhaps nine years ago, a crazed woman doused gasoline on me and tried to set me on fire. The woman did not know what she was doing. She was having a psychotic episode and this happened while we were with the children in the streets. I saw her the next day in her normal state and she smiled at me and said that I had nice hair, completely oblivious to the fact that she tried to burn it off the day before. It was quite a joy to be able to say to her, “Thank you” without feeling hatred nor anger towards her. These feelings would have eaten away in my soul and fed the demon called hatred who is lurking somewhere in the depths of my being. Forgiveness has freed me from this demon but it is not a one time event. It is a lifestyle. This demon keeps trying to pop out but I have to remind myself that forgiveness is the way to understand and appreciate the depth of salvation. In the past few weeks, this reminder came in very handy.

Jesus said, “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector.” Matthew 18:15-17

This text is particularly hard to interpret for our daily lives. We might be tempted to think that it pertains solely to the hierarchy of the institutional church. It also seems to allude to an antiquated idea of excommunication. Once upon a time, it was an effective practice. The one disciplined automatically became an outcast without a community nor a home. Today, if someone were to suffer excommunication from a church, one just simply has to cross the street and join another church without any problems. Most of the time, they would be welcomed with open arms in their new church. However, if we could step away from these disturbing and ungracious images of history and look at these verses from the perspective of love, we find something relevant and practical in them. No doubt it requires us first to change a little bit of our mindset. We need to think differently about the word, “church”.

The main reason we go to church is because we want to recognize and acknowledge the presence of Jesus in our daily lives. This is really the primary purpose. If our community engages in other activities beside this primary task, then it fails its vocation. Recently, we spoke with one of homeless youth, Rone, who always gives a part of the money he receives to the church. It is a practice which he has kept for many years. However, he is very particular about the church where he contributes. He likes a certain church because, according to him, they talk about God. He added that there are many churches which hold church meetings but only few celebrate Jesus. From this, I understand that celebrating Jesus meant sensing a connection with Him. Maybe this young man might have a different meaning for it. However, I have an inkling that we are on the same page.

As we grow in our understanding of Him, we realize that we can see Him clearer in different places and persons outside the walls of the church building. This does not mean that we are outside the church. It means that we need to return to the biblical concept of church, more importantly, the one which Jesus talked about.

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” Matthew 18:20

At least, this is true for me personally. In the streets among the homeless children and teens, we have discovered a new form of church life. There is no church membership nor a regular worship service or any form of liturgy that would identify us as a church in the traditional sense. We have a stripped down version of the Body of Christ. It is one based strictly on relationships. The young people are free to come and talk with us. They are also free to ignore us. When someone approaches us whatever they have done or continue to do is irrelevant. They have come to join us. They come to seek a relationship with us. This is the nature of our church in the streets. The only bond that holds us together as a tiny congregation is love. This is where the problem lies.

When we choose to love, we are allowing ourselves to be open and vulnerable. We are allowing the other person to enter into our lives and have a place of abode in our hearts. Consequently, we are exposing ourselves to the possibilities of being hurt and rejected, not to mention, being disappointed and frustrated. All these things are part and parcel of being the Light and Salt of the World. It is not about standing up for principles and doctrines but it is the willingness to love and risk being hurt. Unfortunately, the possibility of being hurt and rejected is high. Sometimes we cast our pearls to swines and then they turn around and attempt to destroy us. Our Lord Himself suffered these consequences. The challenge is how do we deal with those who choose to leave and refuse to be part of the fold. I believe that Jesus is addressing this question. It is not a punitive measure but it is about loving those who reject our love.

Jesus has given us much to reflect on in the gospel reading above. A superficial reading might suggest that the whole process is very humiliating for the rebellious person. These verses are not meant to humiliate those who offend or sin against us. It is meant for us to discover whether the person really sinned against us or just did something which is offensive to our sensibilities. Our moral sensibilities are not the gospel. They are and can be influenced by various factors. They might be influenced by the culture we live in and come from. In our ministry, we discover that there are many things which disturb us but they are not essential to the gospel message. One example is the constant use of drugs among our children and teens. We find this disturbing not simply because it is wrong but mainly because we are programed by society to do so. I do think that these drugs are harmful but this is not the point here. We also tend to overlook things that Jesus said were harmful to the souls like slander, greed, and envy. We give different names to these things so that we can quietly approve these behaviors. Take greed for example, we transform it into a virtue by calling it being ambitious. We like to isolate certain “sins” and justify others. Jesus asked us to have witnesses to help us discern whether an offense is truly a sin or just our personal prejudice. However, even this is not full proof. I believe this why Jesus tells to do the most difficult thing and often times we do not realize what He is asking of us. He admonishes us to treat the person who offended us like a Gentile or a Tax collector.

As Christians, Jesus is our role model and the example to base our lives on. If we do not follow His footsteps, then we are not His followers but mere members of an institution. Jesus treated tax collectors exceptionally well. He opened Himself up to them. He dined with them. He loved them with extra care. In fact, the parable of the Good Shepherd and the Prodigal Son was an argument for His special affection towards tax collectors. As for Gentiles, we have limited examples in the gospels. We just reflected on the Syrophoenician woman who won an argument with Jesus. We have the Centurion whose faith Jesus praised. Then the beautiful story about the demon possessed man in the city of Gerasenes where the swines committed mass suicide. Jesus went out of His way to heal this man. The Pharisees always found it disturbing that Jesus gave Himself to these people without restriction. He spent more time with them than the religious authorities. He was more patient with the tax collectors than with the Pharisees and Scribes. When Jesus told us to treat the person who offended us like a Gentile or tax collector, He meant that we treat them with much love and compassion. It is not a permission to reject and despise. It is not about being punitive but a call to be more like Him to them. This is, most likely, the most difficult thing in this passage.

Perhaps I can share a story here to show how this gospel text played out in our ministry in the streets. The problem is that there are too many stories, unfortunately. There are many teens and children who once had deep relationship with us and now they avoid us. It is not that there was a disagreement between us. It is the fact that they sense in their hearts that the things they are doing are shameful. We never pointed it out to them. It wasn’t necessary. However, Jesus tells us to treat them like Gentiles and Tax collector. They need the extra care, compassion, patience and love. Hopefully, one day all these will give them the courage to return to the fold. I am not sure if it will happen to be honest. Real life is never like the fairy tales. Nevertheless, it does not change how we should treat them. This is what Jesus wants us to do and He is our perfect example for a living a life of Love.

And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ But Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’ Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.’ Matthew 16:22-25

Poor Peter. I can totally sympathize with him. His words were seasoned with good intentions. One could say that Jesus’ reaction was a little harsh. Maybe it was necessary. Peter and the disciples had to learn that the world’s ways of achieving things has nothing to do with the Kingdom of God. According to the world, Peter was right. The Messiah is supposed to be the greatest King among kings and not to die a shameful death. The whole episode is very similar to the temptations of Jesus in the desert. The devil through Peter was proposing an alternate way of establishing God’s Kingdom; suggesting that He considers other possible means of doing things. Jesus had to be harsh and curt with Peter. There was no room for negotiating with the deceptive ways of the devil. Nevertheless, Peter must have felt crushed.

At first Jesus told him that he was going to be the rock upon which the church would be built. In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter became the rock for the church. His leadership helped the disciples cross ethnic boundaries and paved the way for the inclusion of the Gentiles. Peter was elevated to a status of a leader and then. Jesus addressed him as Satan.

“It is great men, potential saints, not little men, who become those who are readiest to kill for it” C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms.

Violence and murder and all kinds of atrocities are committed in the Name of God all the time. We may say that these are really evil people who use religion as a guise for their evil intentions. However, this is not always true. They start with saintly intentions and then the values of this age slowly slip in and contaminate their souls. This is why a harsh rebuke was necessary. It was essential that Peter and the disciples did not contaminate their souls with the world. If not, they would become salt that has lost its saltiness and essentially be worthless to humanity.

According to Jesus, Satan is someone who sets his mind on human things. This is quite a curious thing. After all, aren’t we all humans and therefore, prone to think about human things naturally? Our homeless children living in the streets have these needs too. Sometimes, they impel them to steal and use drugs and in some cases, they allow themselves to be exploited. They do not resort to crime to buy bread. Food is one of the easiest things to get. Most people will give food willingly to someone who begs for it. Crime is committed by our children and teens to fulfill their need for recognition. It is the only way they become visible in society. It is the deep rooted desire of every human being to be acknowledged as a member of a society whether it is positive or negative.

We are social animals. We have a natural instinct to belong to a group. The homeless youth are not any different. They will do anything to belong to a group. One can say that their use of drugs is not entirely due to addiction but mainly motivated by the need to belong to a group. Incidentally, all our teens and children who have left the streets have abandoned cocaine or other hard drugs without any difficulty. Almost none of them attend any special treatment program. However, they find it difficult to leave the group to which they once belonged. Therefore, we can understand why Peter thought all the talk about death was horrifying. It is the ultimate separation from every social group. He wanted the Kingdom of Jesus to be recognized and acknowledged by everyone. He desired that it would become the most powerful among others. He was willing to use whatever means necessary to achieve this. He even promised to do so on several occasions and went as far as to cut off the ear of a person whom he deemed as a threat. Peter was not all talk. He was a man of action. Jesus had to stop him before he got started.

Jesus came to establish an eternal Kingdom whose values are not compatible with the limited mindset of this temporal world. This creates more problems for us. We are of this world whether we like it or not, we think and act like people who live in this reality. Perhaps the first step is for us to recognize this. When we acknowledge Jesus as our Christ it doesn’t mean we are automatically free from the mindset of this world. Peter wasn’t and He needed a harsh rebuke to be reminded of this fact. Sometimes, maybe more often than not, we need to have strong rebukes to be reminded that our minds need to be transformed.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

The world is constantly bombarding us with its values; perhaps now more than ever with each technological innovation. Our minds are never free from its diabolic influence. Recently, our conversation with Bruno touched on the subject of generosity. I don’t know how we got there but this is how things are in the streets. We cannot control the subjects that come up. I shared about a famous singer who died not too long ago. This man was quite a curious person. He once used to sing raunchy songs and many times his lyrics were extremely explicit. Later on in his career, he changed his style and, nevertheless, he maintained formidable success with his music. When he died, it was revealed that he had become a devout Christian over the years. Many people came forth and shared that he helped them financially when they were in dire straits. He paid for someone’s surgery and helped a widowed woman among many things. However, he always told these people that he did not want them to disclose his generosity to anyone. He told them that Jesus said that our left hand should not know what the right hand is doing when it comes to acts of love. After his death, these people decided to go public. Bruno thought that it was strange and even bad that he did not want anyone to know about his good works. I was a little taken aback. I thought that the singers desire to be anonymous would impress him. Then I understood. Bruno’s understanding of life comes from his interactions with people. He formulates his ethics through his conversations with them. Every time an organization comes to the streets to do charitable work whether it is a church or some other institution, tons of photos are taken and their acts are filmed. Then images appear in the social media. They claim that this serves to motivate others to do the same. There are a range of reasons for their publicity. However, there are the words of Jesus and we need to do something about them. I am not saying that we should stop all this but we need to consider the words of Jesus. The Kingdom of God is not established through the means of the world. We cannot ignore how the Christ lived in this world and think that we can improve on the spread of His message by using our worldly methods. We might be just walking into the snares of the devil. The worst of it was that Bruno thought that there was something wrong with this singer’s attitude. It was so foreign to his reality that something Jesus said appears to be wrong. It is not Bruno’s ethic which is corrupted but he has not seen the values of the Messiah lived out in concrete form.

Maybe Bruno’s reaction is a rebuke from the Holy Spirit. It opened my eyes. Peter went on to become a saint who suffered many other rebukes on the way. The most amazing thing about Peter is that he listened each time. He did not leave Jesus because he was called Satan. I can not see this term as anything but an offensive one. However, Peter knew Jesus had the words of Eternal Life (John 6:68). He endured the harsh words of Jesus because he knew that they had Life. The question is whether we are able to listen and endure the rebukes which come our way. I guess we have to be convinced like Peter that the words of Jesus have eternal Life. Only then, we will be willing to listen to the rebukes to renew our minds and be transformed in the way of our thinking.