Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu cho chúng ta sẽ biết rằng Chúa đang có một mối lo lắng và một gánh nặng rất to lớn, nếu như chúng ta chứng kiến được những lời cầu nguyện của Ngài trong khu vườn cây dầu vào đêm trước khi Ngài phải chịu nạn chúng ta có thể biết được Ngài đã phải mang cái gánh nặng này đã bao lâu rồi. Chúng ta có hai cách để đọc và suy nghĩ về bàiTin Mừng hôm nay.
1 - Chúng ta có thể đọc đó như là bài chia sẽ mà Chúa Giêsu muốn tâm sự. Ngài muốn chia sẻ gánh nặng này với những các môn đệ của Ngài và những ai muốn gần gũi với Ngài. Nhưng có lẽ họ không có đủ sức mạnh để hiểu và chịu đựng cái nỗi đau thương của Ngài.
Chúa Giêsu biết những gì đang đến, sẽ đến và Ngài can đảm, cam kết sẽ thực thi theo ý muốn của Chúa Cha. Cho dù Ngài đã biết về sự đau khổ và phải chết trên Thập Giá nhục nhã trước khi Ngài đã tập đọc được những chữ cái đầu tiên hay Ngài chỉ biết được cái số phận của mình sau này, Ngài luôn luôn biết rằng Ngài sẽ làm theo ý Chúa Cha, mà không làm theo ý riêng mình. Lạy Chúa xin Giúp cúng con có can đảm để làm theo ý Chúa.
I wonder when Jesus learned that he would die on the Cross, or if he always knew it. I mean to say, did he know it as a five-year-old boy or did he learn it at some point later in life? He was not taken by surprise: he teaches his disciples about the sufferings to come and he discusses the Cross with Elijah and Moses during the Transfiguration. We know that it was a great burden for him, as is clear from his prayers in the garden on the night before he died, but how long did he carry this burden?
It seems to me that there are two distinct ways to read the Gospel today. We could read it as Jesus trying to share this burden with those closest to him, but they are not strong enough to help bear it, or we could read it as Jesus, knowing that his disciples would not be able to bear the burden that he carried but also wanting to prepare his disciples for his death, tells them about the suffering and death to come, but prevents them from understanding.
In the year leading up to the Cross, Jesus told his disciples many times that he would suffer and die. They did not understand then, but after he died and rose from the dead they remembered these teachings. Remembering them after the fact, with the Cross in the past, they are transformed, from the burden they would have been, to the revelation they are now.
These words are a revelation because they teach us so much about Jesus Christ. Because of these words we know that he was fully aware of the death he would suffer, yet he does not say these words as a merely prescient person would. If you knew right now the death that awaits you, your first instinct would be to consider ways to avoid it, but Jesus does not begin planning ways to avoid his fate. He knows what is coming, and he is committed to doing the will of the Father. Whether he knew about the Cross before he learned his first words or if he did not know until the year before, he always knew that he would do the will of his Father, no matter what.
While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying. Luke 9:43b–45
After Jesus revealed His coming Passion, Death, and Resurrection to the Twelve for the first time, eight days passed. Then He took Peter, James, and John up a high mountain, where He was transfigured before them. That extraordinary glimpse of His divine glory may well have been a source of consolation, dispelling some of the sorrow and confusion they had carried since hearing the unsettling news that their Master would suffer and die.
Upon descending the mountain, Jesus and the three Apostles rejoined the remaining disciples and were met by a large crowd. A man in the crowd presented Jesus with his son who was possessed by a demon. Jesus delivered the boy, and in response, “all were astonished by the majesty of God” (Luke 9:43a). It is immediately in this context of public amazement and admiration that Jesus once again turns to His disciples and predicts His Passion for the second time, as we read in today’s Gospel.
Jesus’ first prediction, recorded earlier in Luke 9, comes across as more reserved and instructional. But in this second pronouncement, there is a new tone that is more urgent and emphatic: “Pay attention to what I am telling you…” His words carry weight, demanding serious reflection. And yet, despite His directness and solemnity, the Gospel tells us: “they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it…” Even more, they were afraid to question Him.
Why was the meaning hidden from them? The answer lies in the mystery of what theologians call “divine pedagogy.” God often reveals His truths gradually, preparing the soul to receive what it cannot yet bear. The Passion of Christ is not only a historical event but a spiritual reality that we must accept with faith. Without the light of the Cross and Resurrection, the notion of a suffering Messiah remained incomprehensible to the Apostles. God permitted the veil over their understanding not as a punishment, but as a protection lest they fall into despair or distortion of the truth. Only after the Resurrection and Pentecost would their hearts be fully opened to grasp the necessity and glory of Christ’s suffering.
In our own journey of faith, we too encounter truths that seem hidden or are difficult to grasp. We may wonder why God allows confusion, trials, or periods of spiritual obscurity. When that happens, we can learn much from Jesus’ interaction with the Twelve in this passage.
God, in His perfect wisdom, will at times withhold certain understandings from us until we are spiritually ready to receive them. When this happens, we are often tempted to doubt or even despair. But what is the proper response? We find it in the example of the Apostles’ confusion. They did not understand and were afraid to ask Jesus what He meant—perhaps because they feared the answer. What they needed at that moment was humility, prayer, and perseverance, grounded in trust. In truth, the moments of confusion that God permits are always for our good because they strengthen our faith in Him even when we do not yet understand.
Reflect today on these hidden moments in your own life. Are there aspects of God’s will you do not yet understand? Are there things that fill you with fear and tempt you to despair? Do not be afraid to approach Jesus with your questions, even if answers do not come immediately. Trust that in His perfect time, all will be revealed and that the Cross always precedes the light of the Resurrection.
Most mysterious Lord, the truth of who You are and what You do in my life is beyond my comprehension. When I am confused by life’s circumstances, please fill me with confidence in You and trust in Your providence. I know that You know all things and that You will my good. May I trust You in the midst of confusion and press forward with humility, knowing that, in the end, everything will come to light and be made known. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you sent your Son to save us through the mystery of his Cross. Teach me to listen when his words challenge my expectations. Give me the grace to accept the way of self-denial and sacrifice, trusting that the path of the Cross leads to the fullness of life with you.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Second Passion Prediction: After the Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36), Jesus foretells his coming Passion for the second time. His first prediction had been explicit: “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Luke 9:22). Jesus then immediately called his disciples to take up their cross daily and follow him. The second prediction is likewise followed by a lesson about discipleship. This time, the disciples begin arguing about which of them is the greatest (Luke 9:46-48). The connection is important. Jesus does not merely predict his own suffering; he reveals the pattern of life in his Kingdom. The way to true greatness passes through humble and sacrificial love. The disciples are thinking about greatness while Jesus is preparing to surrender himself. They are concerned with who will be greatest; Jesus is concerned with giving himself for others. The world often measures greatness by wealth, influence, power, recognition, or achievement. Jesus reveals another measure. True greatness is found in loving service, humility, and the willingness to sacrifice oneself for the good of others. The Cross will be the definitive revelation of this truth.
2. Pay Attention to What I Am Telling You: The people who witnessed Jesus free the possessed boy were “amazed at his every deed.” Their amazement is understandable. Throughout his ministry, people marvel at Jesus’ teaching and authority. They were amazed at his teaching in the synagogue (Luke 4:22), and after he forgave the sins of the paralytic and healed him, “amazement seized them all” (Luke 5:26). Jesus’ words and deeds reveal an authority unlike anything they have encountered before. Yet Jesus does not allow his disciples to remain focused on his extraordinary deeds. “Pay attention to what I am telling you.” Literally, Jesus tells them to put these words into their ears. The expression is vivid: listen carefully; take my words in; let them sink deeply into you. This recalls the Father’s command at the Transfiguration: “This is my chosen Son; listen to him” (Luke 9:35). The disciples have just witnessed Jesus’ glory on the mountain. Now they must listen as he speaks about his suffering. It is easier to listen when Jesus speaks words of glory than when he speaks about the Cross. Yet the same Son who reveals his glory also reveals the necessity of suffering. Jesus asks more of his disciples than amazement. He asks them to listen, receive, and believe – even when they do not yet understand. Do I truly listen to Jesus, especially when his teaching challenges my desires or expectations?
3. The Son of Man Is to Be Handed Over: Jesus tells his disciples, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” The title “Son of Man” points to the mysterious figure of Daniel 7 who receives everlasting dominion from God. Jesus identifies himself with this figure, but he reveals that his path to glory will pass through humiliation and death. He is about to be “handed over.” The one who has demonstrated such authority over demons, sickness, and even death will voluntarily place himself into the hands of sinful men. Jesus may amaze the crowds, but he knows that his “exodus,” which Moses and Elijah discussed with him at the Transfiguration (Luke 9:31), is approaching. The one whom the crowds now marvel at will soon be rejected, mocked, and crucified. The disciples, however, cannot understand. Luke says that the meaning of Jesus’ words was hidden from them, and they were afraid to ask him about it. Their inability to understand does not mean that Jesus’ teaching is unintelligible or that God desires their ignorance. Rather, they have not yet been given the full light of faith necessary to comprehend the mystery of a Messiah who conquers through apparent defeat. The meaning of the Cross will become clear only in light of the Resurrection. There may also be something revealing in their fear of asking. Perhaps they sense that Jesus is speaking about something they would rather not face. His words threaten their expectations of what his messianic kingdom will look like – a nd what following him will require of them. We can respond in the same way. We may gladly listen to Jesus when he speaks of blessing, healing, victory, and eternal life, yet become reluctant when he speaks of self-denial, suffering, forgiveness, sacrifice, and the Cross. Sometimes the obstacle is not that we cannot understand Christ’s teaching but that we do not want to understand what it will require of us. Jesus tells us to put his words in our ears. We must therefore resist the temptation to listen selectively. The same Christ who promises resurrection also speaks of the Cross. The way to life passes through dying to ourselves. When do I shy away from facing what Jesus teaches because I fear what obedience to him might require of me?
“Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying. Luke 9:44–45
This is the second time that Jesus predicts His coming passion to His Apostles. After telling them that He will be handed over, the Gospel relates that “they did not understand this saying.” It also states that “they were afraid to ask him about this saying.” Why did they not understand, and why were they afraid to ask Jesus about His coming passion?
The Apostles were deeply attached to our Lord, both on a spiritual level and also through their affections. And this is good. But sometimes our affections can cloud our thinking and make it difficult to understand the deeper spiritual realities in life. Though our affections are natural, they must always be directed by the will of God. For example, if we were to try to understand Jesus’ affections, we’d have to conclude that He both spiritually and affectionately desired to lay down His life for the salvation of souls in accord with the will of the Father. He not only chose this with His will, but He also desired it in His affections, because His affections were perfectly ordered.
The Apostles, however, were unable to understand that Jesus had to lay down His life, be rejected, suffer and die, in part because they were very attached to Jesus in an emotional and affectionate way. So in this instance, their human love and attachment to Jesus hindered their ability to understand the greater spiritual good of Jesus laying down His life.
Consider, also, our Blessed Mother. How would she have reacted to Jesus saying that He had to be handed over, be rejected, suffer and die? Though this would have grieved her with a holy sorrow, the perfection of her human nature would have led her to not only understand and accept this deep spiritual truth, but she would have also desired this to happen within her affections because she perfectly desired the fulfillment of the will of the Father. There would have been no conflict within her between the will of the Father and what she desired.
In our own lives, we will often tend to struggle in the same way that the Apostles struggled. When faced with some challenging cross in life, a cross that the Father calls us to embrace freely, we will often find that our affections resist. When this happens, we become confused and even fearful of the future. Thus, the only way to conquer fear is to work to surrender every emotion, every affection and every human attachment over to the will of the Father so that His will is all we desire with every power of our soul.
Reflect, today, upon the interior struggle of these Apostles as they came face-to-face with this the second time Jesus began to prepare them to accept, understand, choose and desire His passion. Consider the interior struggle they went through at that time and even as they saw this unfold. Eventually they understood. Eventually all fear vanished. And eventually they affectionately rejoiced in Jesus’ sacrifice. But it took much time and much surrender. Reflect upon those ways our Lord is inviting you to choose His Cross in your life. Where you see your affections resisting, try to surrender, pray for understanding and seek the courage you need to desire His Cross with all your soul.
My revealing Lord, You opened Your divine heart to Your Apostles and invited them to understand and choose Your suffering and death. And though they hesitated and struggled, You continued to invite them to embrace the father’s will. Give me the grace I need, dear Lord, to embrace every spiritual truth first and foremost and to allow that Truth to free me from fear and fill me with the gift of understanding. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are the Lord of life and guide all things to their fulfillment. By sending your Son, you have overcome the sting of death and offer eternal life to your children. Teach me to die to myself so that I may live.
1. The Second Passion Prediction: After the Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36), Jesus foretells his upcoming death in Jerusalem a second time. The first foretelling (Luke 9:22) said that “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” This was followed by Jesus inviting his disciples to take up their own cross and follow him. The second passion prediction was followed by the disciples arguing over who was the greatest. Jesus responds by teaching them about humility. True greatness does not consist in earthly money, earthly power, or the attainment of pleasure. True greatness, the greatness that leads to divine and eternal life, consists in loving and humble service. It consists in sacrificing for others and welcoming the humble and child-like, who often struggle to care for themselves.
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