Jeremiah 20:7-9 / Romans 12:1-2 / Matthew 16:21-27
We are quite familiar with the story of the race between the hare and the tortoise.
The hare was always making fun of the tortoise for being so slow and even mocked him by saying that the tortoise will never get anywhere.
The tortoise retorted by saying that he can get anywhere sooner or later, and even challenged the hare to a race.
The hare was much amused that the tortoise is challenging him to a race, and for the fun of it, he accepted.
On the day of the race, from the word “Go!”, the hare was off to a flying start and soon was out of sight.
Halfway through, the hare spotted a vegetable garden, and since he was way ahead and rather hungry, he decided to have a meal and a nap.
The hare slept so soundly that the tortoise caught up and continued towards the finish line.
When the hare woke up, he saw that the tortoise was reaching the finish line.
The hare ran as fast as he could, but it was the tortoise who crossed the finish line first and won the race.
The moral of the story is that slow and steady will win the race.
Other lessons are that persistence matters, and arrogance and bragging will result in failure.
But let's say, if we had not heard of the story before, we will certainly think that the hare will win.
Because human logic and reasoning will tell us to be on the side of the top dog instead of the underdog.
In the Gospel, Jesus began to make it clear to His disciples that He was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes.
He will be put to death, but will be raised up on the third day.
While the disciples were trying to understand what Jesus was saying, Peter decided to do something.
He took Jesus aside and started to remonstrate with Him and said, "Heaven preserve you, Lord! This must not happen to you."
But Jesus turned round and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God's way but man's."
We may be just as startled and even just as shocked as Peter was when Jesus said that.
Jesus is not calling Peter “Satan”. Jesus is pointing out that what Peter suggested is not God's way but Satan's way.
Satan's way is to tempt us to reject the cross and suffering, and to preserve one's life by being selfish and self-centred.
As Jesus would ask His disciples, "What then will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?"
Or as in the story of the hare and the tortoise, do we think that we can win the race of life with our confidence, our resources, and our abilities?
Or would we choose the way of the tortoise, to be slow and steady, to persevere with faith, and to walk in the humble ways of God.
We have God-given talents and gifts, but we must know what we really want in life and which way to go.
That calls to mind Saint Thomas Aquinas, who was brilliantly gifted in writing.
His greatest work was the Summa Theologica, or the Summary of Theology.
One day, he had a vision while praying. A voice from the crucifix asked what he wanted as a reward for his many writings about God.
Saint Thomas Aquinas replied, "Only You, Lord, only You."
Saint Thomas Aquinas knew even if he has gained the whole world but does not have Jesus in his life, then he is ruined.
There is nothing that he can exchange for his life. Jesus was all he wanted and all he needed.
Let us be like the tortoise, to be slow and steady in our faith so that we will know the way towards God.
Like Saint Thomas Aquinas, let us know that Jesus is all we want and all we need.