Msgr. Michael Woster
Homily from the Televised Mass, NewsCenter1
The 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 15, 2024

We all know that phrase, “Put your money where your mouth is!” 

What does that mean? It means back up your words with some substance. Put some money in the game or skin in the game. Ante up. Show that you’re committed and don’t be a hypocrite. Prove it. Prove what it is that you mean. 

Interestingly, St. James is saying the same thing in the second reading today. He says your faith without action is empty. It’s meaningless. It’s useless and you are being a hypocrite. What good is it to say to your hungry neighbor, “Keep warm and well fed. May the Lord bless you,” without doing something about their hunger. 

In the Gospel, our Lord comes along as someone who always, always puts his money where his mouth is. His words, his teaching, were always backed up by his action, and sometimes in ways that scared the bejeebers, if you will, out of his disciples as we see in the Gospel with Peter today. 

What are some of the Lord’s radical sayings? You’ve heard it said, “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. What I say to you is do not return evil for evil, return evil with good.” Or, “Turn the other cheek. If a person strikes you on the right side, give him your left. If a man wants your shirt, give him your cloak as well. If he wants you to go a mile with him, go two with him.” And another one, “You have heard it said love your neighbor and hate your enemies but what I say to you is love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you”

Now you and I could easily tell ourselves that Jesus didn’t really mean all of this. That he was only exaggerating to make a point — as we call it hyperbole in English. Or we think maybe his disciples didn’t fully understand him. The only problem with this is that Jesus put his money where his mouth is. He did all of those things, and everything that the prophet Isaiah said he would do as we heard in the first reading today. He not only put his money, but his whole skin, his whole life where his mouth is. He proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was dead serious about the connection between faith in him and our Christian action. Between our beliefs and radically good deeds. 

This is what frightened Peter. That’s why he remonstrates with our Lord in the Gospel today. This is why he tries to dissuade him from the path that will lead his Christ to the cross. A suffering Messiah is not what Peter wants. He senses deep inside that if the Christ must suffer then so too will his followers. But the Lord rebukes Peter, seriously, with the most interesting accusation indicating that anyone who tries to change his mission or his teaching is doing the work of Satan. Why? Because Satan doesn’t want either Jesus or his followers living such a radical life because if they do, Satan knows that his Kingdom, his work in this world is finished. 

As we read the story about Peter in the Scriptures we see that he had a lot to learn and experience. He had to go through very much before he was able to embrace the radical life that Christ was marking out for him and for his disciples. But we also see, with the gift of Pentecost after the resurrection, with the power of the Holy Spirit in his soul and body, that Peter did embrace Christ’s teaching about the cross along with all the others. And the Church of which we are a part of was born by their sacrifice and martyrdom. 

So, what’s the takeaway for us in all this? Maybe it’s the simple idea that you and I are very much like Peter before Pentecost. We want to define Christ’s mission along the lines of our own comfort zone. We’re willing to put a little skin in the game, as Peter had done, but not willing to put everything in the game. 

I’m afraid that Jesus wants it all. He’s a little selfish that way. He wants it all because the Church, the world, the nation, our society, needs all of our skin in the game nothing less will accomplish what the Lord intends to do through us.