WWJD?

A Reflection on the Gospel for Sunday, September 15th, 2024:
Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Mark
​8.27-35

Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the Prophets.”

Jesus asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly.

And Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are thinking not as God does, but as humans do.”

Jesus called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “Whoever wants to become my follower, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake, and for the sake of the Gospel, will save it.”

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

WWJD?

My generation knows this acronym well. It was everywhere in the 1990s and into the early 2000s — on t-shirts, stickers of every kind, decorative framed prints, journal covers. It was even a movie title. I remember it most as letters woven into a bracelet I wore that would prompt me to ask: “WWJD — What would Jesus do?” 

This passage from Mark’s Gospel is packed, and yet it is the last lines that strike me, “Whoever wants to become my follower, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Denying one’s self is not something we do easily in this world — at least I don’t. I am not a woman of independent means, but I have enough. If I want to buy fancy coffee — and probably a treat — I do. Or if I see a reasonably priced outfit I like, I buy it. Or if I want to take a road trip, I fill up my gas tank and go. I am single with no dependants, which means I can pretty much do what I want, when I want. So the idea of denying myself something I have the ability, desire and means to do seems almost … silly. Yet, as a disciple of Christ, Christ should factor into what I do. And I believe that Christ does. I believe that in making the choices I do, I am always asking, “What would Jesus do?” which implies that my choices are mine to enact but not mine alone to make because I desire to do what Christ asks of me. I will deny myself for Christ because He did not deny Himself from me. He gave me all He was, is, and will be through His suffering on the Cross then rising again in three days.

But can I deny myself? I know I don’t always think of Christ first. I placed Him at the centre of my life, but sometimes I forget or take for granted that He is there. I can default to what I want or can do, but my life isn’t simply “all about me,” no matter what the world might tell me. I do not live my life in isolation, even on my most introverted days. Ever present in my life are my family, friends, acquaintances, communities I belong to, people who challenge me, strangers who cross my path for a moment and so many others. Recalling the simple WWJD creates a space for me to recognize that God gave me the ability to do anything but what I do impacts my relationship with everyone around me — and with God. Asking myself, “WWJD?” can be a glimmer that causes me to pause and recall who I am called to be. It can help me deny my self-centredness in exchange for other-centredness. Because I can deny myself, not for the sake of what the world requires of me, but because of what Christ desires for me. 

Hmm, maybe I should go find my WWJD bracelet. 

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​Aurea Sadi

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