Today's gospel is the Lukan version of Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi.    Jesus asks the disciples, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"  The crowds are not sure.  Jesus could be one of the prophets returned from of old.  Jesus presses the disciples further, "But you, who do you say that I am?"  It is Peter who proclaims, "The Messiah of God."  This is a great insight for Peter and for all of us.  Jesus is not just some teacher, he is not the reincarnation of some Old Testament prophet.  He is the promised one, the anointed of God, the Savior.

            In Luke and Mark, Jesus immediately launches into a teaching about the real meaning of Messiahship.  He did not come into the world to lead the angelic armies against Rome.  He did not come to restore the rule to Israel.  Instead he came to suffer and die so that we might have life in him.  This was a hard teaching for the disciples and it is just as hard a teaching for us today.  

            No one likes the idea of suffering, but suffering will always be a part of our human condition.  Some will suffer from diseases.  Our society spends billions on medicine and especially on pain control.  While we have improved the care of the sick in many ways, this kind of suffering will be with us always.  The Church offers us a special sacrament to continue the healing and comfort of the sick which was such an important part of Jesus' ministry.

            There are other terrible kinds of suffering that we don't do much about.  The poverty of our own cities trap so many adults and children in lives of hunger, pain and desperation.  Our violent culture executes hundreds of innocent children just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Spousal and child abuse have become epidemic. 

            In today's gospel Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow him.  This is not a plea to just accept whatever suffering is a part of our personal lives.  It is a challenge to do what we can to eliminate suffering wherever possible and to make sure that the suffering we cannot eliminate is applied to the salvation of the world.  We cannot save our own lives without loosing them for Christ in love, prayer and service for others.