Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter Yrs 1 and 2 2025
Easter • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 12 viewsPaul only says enough about Jerusalem Jews to explain his presence in Rome and then gets to the gospel. Jesus sees Peter’s curiosity about the beloved disciple as a way of coping with his own anxiety. He was not to divert his attention but focus on following Jesus. And that needs to be our way of life: pay attention to what I need to follow Jesus and see the rest for the distraction it is, a distraction from following Jesus.
Notes
Transcript
Title
Title
You Follow Me
Outline
Outline
In the Chronicles of Naria Aslan says more than once, “That is someone else’s story; I only tell you your story.”
In the Chronicles of Naria Aslan says more than once, “That is someone else’s story; I only tell you your story.”
I notice how Paul is not concerned about the Jerusalem Jews, why they would accuse him, how they treated him, etc. He has no accusation to make. He only tells enough to explain why he is in Rome and set the stage for telling the good news to the Roman Jews. He lives in his present story.
Peter is gently rebuked for asking about the beloved disciple’s story
Peter is gently rebuked for asking about the beloved disciple’s story
“Lord, what about him?” He did not ask because he wanted to pray for him better; no, Peter has a heightened level of anxiety from what Jesus has told him about his story, so, like we do, he asks about the beloved disciple’s story. We get concerned about the other, perhaps curious, perhaps critical (Why did they do that!), perhaps questioning God (How are you going to punish that? or How come he gets off so easy?). That diverts our anxiety, but does not deal with it effectively. I need to face into my life not think about others.
Jesus responds, “What concern is that of yours? You follow me.”
And that lays out our path in life
And that lays out our path in life
I often pray to St Joseph in the morning, “Guide me in the path of life.” Yes, and St Joseph is saying, “Follow Jesus.”
Sometimes I need to know about others because we are part of a team or because they have authority over me or (more rarely, I over them), but this is limited to the nature of the relationship. I pay attention to my bishop’s private life when he chooses to reveal it so that I can be a better priest, not to judge it. I really want to know about any directives that might affect me, but what he decides about others should not clutter my brain.
And I do not want clutter for that is simply diverting me from my own anxiety and keeping me from following Jesus where Jesus is leading me, whether it be to a cross or whether it be to remaining until he comes.
