Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mark 8:27-35

Why did Jesus so strongly rebuke Peter? Because maybe Peter was putting into words the very temptations that were assailing Jesus at that moment. Jesus did not want to die. In the garden he prays: “Father if it is possible let this cup pass me by.” Recall in Luke’s gospel after the temptations of Jesus in the desert it says that the tempter departed from him “for a while.” Now he’s back. But now the tempter is speaking to Jesus through the voice of a well-meaning friend!  Without the cross Jesus would not have been the Christ.  And without it, we cannot be his followers, we cannot call ourselves Christian.