What is your definition of success? What would you define a successful life?

Let’s all close our eyes for a moment and envision what we would look like if we were successful. What would your home look like? How would your children or spouse be like? What would be my waistline? What would your life look like? What concrete examples of what a successful life looks like for you? Have a picture of that in your mind. I believe this is an important spiritual exercise, as you will see in a moment. Nonetheless, if your answer to this question was, my life is successful just the way it is. Congrats! Good for you. I think we all desire that for ourselves. However, you are not off the hook. Ask yourself, why did you answer in this way? What are some examples of why you feel like your life is successful right now? Imagine it in your mind.

The reason why I am asking all of us to consider our definition of success is because our definition of success and the bible’s definition of success don’t always see eye to eye. Take our first reading for example. Jeremiah laments, “All day I am an object of laughter; everyone mocks me.” Why was Jeremiah an object of laughter? What caused everyone to mock him? The reason for this was because he was trying to do God’s will.

Imagine for a moment how that would feel right now, to be an object of laughter, for everyone to mock you? It wouldn’t be enjoyable, would it? In our second reading, St. Paul tells us, “To offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.” It is important to understand what Paul meant by the word “sacrifice” in this context. He is referring to the actual sacrifices that were conducted on the temple altars of his time that everyone listening to him would have known about. It is not a pleasant image. He is urging us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, our spiritual adoration. Doesn’t really sound like fun, does it?

And, just in case if we misunderstood what St. Paul was saying, we have our Lord himself challenging his disciples in our Gospel reading, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” What is Jesus talking about when he says take up your cross and follow him? He is talking about that. He is talking about the cross. Does he look successful to you? And yet, Jesus is the most successful person the world has ever known.

Remember last week, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am? This is the most fundamental question we can ever ask if we call ourselves Christians: who is Jesus? Peter shined like the prince of apostles he is by answering correctly, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This week we discover that after Peter’s bright and shiny moment, he simultaneously answered the question incorrectly. And it underscores why the final exams for neurosurgeons should never be multiple choice.

Peter had the correct answer, but he also had the wrong answer. Peter believed Jesus was going to be the new King David. He believed that Jesus was going to liberate Israel from all oppression. He thought Jesus was going to usher in a new era of prosperity and peace for his country. Peter believed all this because if Jesus was the Messiah, who is what he had in his mind what a successful messiah would look like.

What was Jesus’ view of a successful messiah? Jesus says, “He must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” That is what success looks like. And what was Jesus’ definition of a successful disciple? ““Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (“Matthew 16:24 – Take Up Your Cross – Bible Hub”) For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (“Matthew 16:25 AMP – For whoever wishes to save his life [in – Bible Gateway”)

My friends, I believe it is appropriate to search and ask ourselves the question, how do I define success? In our society, people who have bigger homes, better cars, better clothes, perfect spouses, perfect waistlines, and children without acne, are all somehow seen as more successful. The Bible defines success in a different way. In the Bible, success is about achieving God’s will, period, what may, even if this requires, we must suffer for it. Or as St. Paul tells us in our second reading, and this is good advice by the way for anyone suffering from any anxiety right now, from what is going on in our country today. Success according to St. Paul states, “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” (“Romans 12:2 – BibleGateway.com”) How about that? It would be beneficial for us all to take some time this week and reflect on what St. Paul is saying here and ask ourselves the question, what does this look like? What does this require me to do?