XXI SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - John 6:60-69
Since the beginning, humanity faces a choice that determines the outcome of their lives. Adam and Eve - and they represent all of us - made the wrong choice, turning their backs on God and drifting away from the source of life. Generation after generation, throughout the ages, we have to choose between the way that leads to life or the one that leads to death.
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish.” (Dt 30:15-18).
We are called to make a free choice. God does not impose himself on us. He does not want slaves, but free people. In Islam, we are told that we should behave like slaves because is the master and we have no other option but to submit and lay low on the floor. As the revelation unfolds before us, God’s purpose and plan become clearer: In Jesus, we are called to be children of God and to share in the glory of God who is a merciful and loving Father. Only free people can become children of God, reflecting his glory in their lives.
Moses told the people that they had to choose between “life and good, death and evil”. Joshua, at the end of his life, convened an assembly of the people and called upon them to choose: either they serve the Lord (YHWH) or they reject Him to serve their gods. Joshua had taken the clear option of serving the Lord, but he could not make that choice for others. That is a personal choice that must be made by each one of us. The people, gathered in assembly, decided to follow Joshua’s example:
“We have no intention of deserting the Lord and serving other gods! “
“We too will serve the Lord, for he is our God.” (Jos 24:18).
In the Gospel, Jesus leaves it clear that the disciples have to choose. The crowds that followed him in search of an easy living, turned their backs on him. It is difficult to take responsibility for our own lives and we prefer to wait for others to solve our problems. And Jesus does not make it easy: “What about you, do you want to go away too?”
In the name of the apostles, Peter gave the only answer that makes sense of our lives:
“Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.” (Jn 6:69).
Are we going to answer like Peter or are we turning our backs on him like the crowds?
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