Based on a chapter called the Final Judgement in Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini’ s book “Piccolo Manuale della Speranza – Vivere con Fiducia il Nostro Tempo” [A Small manual of Hope – Living our lives in Trust]. Giunti Editore S.p.A. Milano, 2012.
All biblical quotations are from ‘The Jerusalem Bible’, Darton, Longman & Todd, London, 1966.
The expression “Son of Man” is not used frequently by Christians nowadays; however, it is found often in the gospels. We use it to refer to Jesus not only to show that he, Son of God, has fully assumed our human nature, but also to make some suggestions about Jesus mysterious mission, to what his life and death means to each one of us.
In chapter 8 of Mark’s gospel, we read, “And he began to teach them that the Son of Man was destined to suffer grievously, be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and to be put to death, and after three days to rise again; and he said all this quite openly. Then, taking him aside, Peter started to remonstrate with him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said to him, ‘Get behind me, Satan! Because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s’”. (vv. 31-33)*.
What does the expression “you think is not God’s way but man’s” mean? Why is it difficult for us to accept the mystery of the “Son of Man” as presented to us here?
The evangelist explains that Jesus at this point during his mission, after a rather long period of activity, starts to teach something new. He pronounces a phrase that he had said before, which permits him to sound out his mystery. He speaks of the “Son of Man”, using a mysterious designation of the messiah already in use in the then current religious writings. The novelty in Jesus’ use of the phrase lies in the fact that he does not use it in the usual sense, that is in the context of glory, of triumph, but in the context of rejection and humiliation. The Son of Man “was destined to suffer grievously, be rejected.’
He must be rejected by men of culture, by the important social classes, by those in power. These were hard words indeed for the disciples, as unfortunately they still are for us when we reflect on them seriously.
Why must Jesus, a good man, undergo such a cruel destiny? Does not this mean that justice is not able to prevail? Is the good person destined to be defeated?
Jesus’ prophecy on the fate that awaits him, provokes in the disciples that were listening a sense of loss and dismay, which results in Peter’s intervention. This type of intervention is typical of every one of us: this must not happen, it is not right, it does not make sense, we cannot accept such an outcome.
Nevertheless, this reaction exposes our inability to understand the mystery of God that was manifested in Jesus. While the revelation of God in Jesus proceeded in a successful manner, with the numerous healings and miracles, everyone was happy. However, when Jesus presents himself as the good person who must face death, we become dismayed. Why? The disciples understand that should their master have to go through this, they would be next. To commit oneself to justice is not easy, does not guarantee an immediate success especially if the commitment is carried out with the weapons that Jesus used, that is with love, forgiveness, reconciliation, and trust.
But Jesus does not accept to be corrected on this issue.
He does accept that the Son of Man will have an image of success and glory, an easy path without obstacles. If God makes himself available to man in love till the bitter end, this “bitter end” must be undertaken with all its consequences.
The consequences may well be precisely that he will be rejected, made unwelcome, rebuffed and killed.
It is exactly in this extreme availability that Jesus shows in his human reality the availability of God to man, an unconditional choice that God has made to love man whatever it takes.
Thus, the words “Son of Man” became very precious.
These words declare that every person is destined to be penetrated by the breath of life that comes from Jesus. That is why the Church must turn to man, towards man’s real problems, towards man’s hope and suffering, success, and failures.
The union of Christ with man is a mystery, from which a new man is born, while being called to participate in the life of God, newly created in Christ to the fullness of grace and truth. The union of Christ with man is the power and the source of the power. It is the force that transforms man from inside, as the beginning of a new life that does not fade away nor passes away but persists for eternal life.
Jesus, by accepting the mystery of his death, by going the whole hog for us, shows us the love of God which is life. Death is not the final word; the final word is resurrection and life. The disciples that cannot understand the death of Jesus, cannot understand the power of his life.
When we defend ourselves from God’s humbleness in Jesus, when we do not accept it concretely in our own lives, we are shielding ourselves from the offer of life that God is making to us.
It is therefore imperative that we open our eyes and seize, in the meditation of Jesus going to his death, the expression of love and life that are being donated to us by God’s power.
This good news requires to be listened to not only with the mind but also with praise and prayer.
This is what we will seek to do next by reading some lines from psalm 16[15]**, which expresses trust that the Lord is the One that points out to us the path of life.
Look after me, God, I take shelter in you.
To Yahweh you say ‘My lord,
you are my fortune, nothing else but you’.
I keep Yahweh before my eyes always,
for with him at my right hand nothing can shake me.
So my heart exults, my very soul rejoices,
my body, too, will rest securely,
for you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
nor allow the one you love to see the Pit;
you will reveal the path of life to me,
give me unbounded joy in your presence,
and at your right hand everlasting pleasures.
* Mark, chapter 8, lines 31 to 33.
** There are 150 psalms, numbered from 1 to 150. Regrettably, the Jewish and Christians numbering systems differ from psalm 9 onwards. This is because some psalms are merged in one system and not in the other. That is why you will see 2 numbers for each quoted psalm with a number higher than 9.