What Happens In Vegas Stays In Vegas | September 13, 2015

September 13, 2015

Today’s gospel opens with Jesus and his boys in Caesarea Philippi. This was their version of Las Vegas where ordinary people went for a little get away. It was more metropolitan than the small hick towns that Jesus and company had been to and quite honestly they were probably on a much-needed quick holiday or break for themselves. I don’t know about you but slumber parties with MY friends always tend to get a little deep at some point. On a recent staycation weekend with several of my dear girl friends, we thought it would be fun to take the Myers Briggs personality test and the Five Love Languages quiz as well. Some of us were surprised at our results and most of us were not. We figured out which ones of us were alike and quite frankly the results explained A LOT about our behaviors and ourselves. It was a fun way to get to know each other better and on a deeper level and let’s face it as long as there is good wine and snacks; I’m up for pretty much anything.

I don’t think for one second that Jesus and his boys were sipping Mai tai’s by the pool reading Cosmo quizzes out loud to each other, but perhaps after some steaks and cold beer they were relaxed enough to do some bro-mancing. Matthew, what’s the craziest thing you did as a teenager? Phillip and Nathanial tell embarrassing stories about each other. James and John start exaggerating their fishing stories always trying to one up each other. Peter and Andrew talk about what it was like growing up in their house. Judas wonders how much this meal and all these drinks are costing. Jesus waits his turn. Can you picture the scene?

Once they are all warmed up and a little lose, Jesus pops the question: “Who do people say that I am?” They were probably still light hearted from the hyperbolized story telling session, and replied as such, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” Then Jesus says, “But who do YOU say that I am?” I imagine the laughing and toasting might have become still here. Perhaps there was some head scratching, like is this a trick question? Of course good old Peter is first out of the gate, but this time he actually has the right answer!!! “You are the Christ.” How’s that for a toast?? As they all raise their glasses, Jesus with a wink and a nod “warned them not to tell anyone about him.” What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!!

What we have here is known as the Markan Secret or the Messianic Secret. Several times in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus asks his apostles to keep the news about him being the Messiah a secret. There are many theories as to why Mark focuses on this but the one that my Bible study teacher, Kevin Saunders, believes (therefore, I believe!) is that Jesus told them to keep secrets on purpose because in the Middle Eastern culture secrets are simply irresistible and almost impossible to keep in. Basically, the gossip mill was alive and well and you tell a Middle Easterner to keep a secret and there is an almost 100% guarantee it will spread like wildfire. Jesus was a smart guy!!

To me this is one of the pinnacles of the entire New Testament because everything we know as Christians stems from this question and it is still completely relevant to us today. Who do YOU say Jesus is? Who do I say Jesus is? Let’s face it; our answers are probably going to vary greatly. Remember the baby Jesus in golden diapers and tuxedo shirt Jesus from a few days ago? We all have different versions of Jesus on the outside. I personally like white t-shirt, jeans, flip flops, resembling George Clooney, and probably wearing a Notre Dame baseball hat. However, if our real answer of WHO Jesus is varies from that of Peter’s, “You are the Christ”, then we need to think about that. We need to spend some good quality time with Him, sipping Mai Tai’s perhaps, “wasting” time just getting to know Him, reading His story until it sinks in, sharing our story with Him in prayer, holding hands with Him on the beach, singing His favorite songs, talking to His mom…whatever it takes so that we will be the first one to say, “You are the Christ!!!” If He is not the Christ, then he is the most scandalous liar of all time, and that just does not resonate in my soul. Jesus can’t be just another nice guy with quotable quotes. Jesus either paid for our sins or orchestrated the greatest episode of “Punk’d” ever!!! I highly doubt that Jesus is a liar or a prankster. In fact He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and none of these things should stay in Vegas. So if you’ve ever been tempted to tell someone’s secret…tell Jesus’ secret.

Reading 1 IS 50:5-9A

The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.

The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let that man confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?

Responsorial Psalm PS 116:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

R. (9) I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I love the LORD because he has heard
my voice in supplication,
Because he has inclined his ear to me
the day I called.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The cords of death encompassed me;
the snares of the netherworld seized upon me;
I fell into distress and sorrow,
And I called upon the name of the LORD,
“O LORD, save my life!”
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gracious is the LORD and just;
yes, our God is merciful.
The LORD keeps the little ones;
I was brought low, and he saved me.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
For he has freed my soul from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
I shall walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 JAS 2:14-18

What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works? 
Can that faith save him? 
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
“Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, ”
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it? 
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.

Indeed someone might say,
“You have faith and I have works.” 
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.

Alleluia GAL 6:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord
through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 8:27-35

Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. 
Along the way he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that I am?” 
They said in reply,
“John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets.” 
And he asked them,
“But who do you say that I am?” 
Peter said to him in reply,
“You are the Christ.” 
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days. 
He spoke this openly. 
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. 
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me. 
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it.”