Walking with Jesus: 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time A

For Sunday, August 30, 2026

Jeremiah 20:7-9, Romans 12:1-2, Matthew 16:21-27


Growing up, a phrase somehow snuck into our vocabulary when we thought something happened unfairly to us — in school, at home, in our contact with “authorities” — It’s not fair! In the old days (I was born and started school in the ’40s) we had to be careful challenging those in charge. I guess it just seemed we were more afraid of being “killed” than being “right.” We’d cry out, “It’s not right” — “is everybody against me?” — “I don’t have a chance” — “the authorities are against me.”

How easy it is to become bitter, even carrying it over to God: “God just doesn’t care” — “the world and God are wrong and certainly don’t love me.” Jesus gives His point-blank response: “Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny themself, take up their cross, and follow Me.” [Matthew 16:24] The reality is that the crosses we experience in life can, at times, feel as though God is as Jeremiah says: “You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped.” [Jeremiah 20:7] This really affects our faith in God and those in authority, making it difficult for us to keep faith.

These words of complaint echo some of the most tragic and sadness-filled sentiments of Jeremiah. The Hebrew word pata can mean both duped and enticed. The first meaning suggests God misleads Jeremiah when he is called to deliver God’s message, allowing Jeremiah to be misled because he is inexperienced and naive. God has promised to be with him, and Jeremiah takes God’s promise seriously. The verb duped also infers seduction: Jeremiah has struggled with this and is intimidated. He is caught up in what we would call a dilemma between his own, natural inclinations and his call as a prophet of God to follow God’s will. This happens from the very beginning, when Jeremiah is called to deliver a message of violence to his people: It is his nation that will be wracked with violence and face destruction. Jeremiah doesn’t want to do this — who would? The people reject and ridicule him.

Jeremiah struggles with the promise where Nathan is predicting David’s rule: “‘I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to Me. If he does wrong, I will reprove him with a human rod and with human punishments; but I will not withdraw my favor from him as I withdrew it from Saul who was before you. Your house and your kingdom are firm forever before Me; your throne shall be firmly established forever.’ In accordance with all these words and with this whole vision Nathan spoke to David.” [2 Samuel 7:14-16] So Jeremiah carries a threefold burden: He must deliver a message of doom and destruction to his own people, he is mocked by those to whom he has been sent, and he receives no comfort from God. When we look at our own dilemmas, how often do we say: “I’ve been there” — “where is God?” God is always present, crosses are promised. Jesus had them too.

Paul seems to echo a phrase my mom used often: “Offer it up — think of the poor, starving children in China.” It really didn’t work on me then. Paul’s words urge us to give ourselves totally to God — body and mind, holding nothing back. We don’t like to hear this. Paul uses language of the sacrificial temple system, describing that those who are Christians — who believe in Jesus, who understand that we are always called to forgiveness and love — are to offer “our bodies as a living sacrifice.” We are to think and see as God does. We are “not to conform yourselves to this age … but to discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” [Romans 12:2] As we reflect on this, we can readily see our pains, crosses, difficulties. Truly, Jesus showed us that following the Ten Commandments and His own Commandments of love are hard — as hard as it was for Him to accept death — death on a cross for my sins and yours. Actions speaking totally of God’s love!

Today, as he promised last week, Matthew says each of us must come to terms with who Jesus is. In no uncertain terms He is described as a prophetic, charismatic, spellbinding preacher who jolted the crowds who liked Him as well as those who opposed Him. He insisted that only through self-denial, the cross and death, can true life be found.

Taking up one’s cross means wholehearted commitment to Christ and His gospel — toward God’s kingdom is the only way.

So I reflect on:

• I look at my own prayer style — including what I want, what I need, where I’m called by God — and ask, how does this help me discern God’s will for me?
• “Carrying my cross” enlists a whole bunch of complaints. A wonderful antidote is to list the blessings I have been gifted with throughout the past week. Have I thanked God yet?

Sacred Space 2026 states:

“There are always Peter-style characters in our lives, tempting us to go in directions that we are very doubtful about. We rely on Your wisdom and good counsel to lead us out of the blind alleys and thank You sincerely for the occasions in the past when You have done just that.”