Jeremiah 28:1-17 / Matthew 14:22-36
Whenever this phrase "a bitter pill to swallow" is used, there could be several shades of meaning to it. It could mean:
- an unwanted or unpleasant situation that someone is forced to accept
- an unpleasant fact, disappointment, or humiliation that is difficult to endure
Whatever shades of meaning there are, the word that is most obvious is "bitter".
As much as bitter is far from pleasant, but swallowing the bitter pill may result in something better.
In the 1st reading, the prophet Jeremiah said that true prophets often present the people a bitter pill to swallow.
And unless the people swallow the bitter pill and repent and turn back to God, there can be no real peace.
And in the gospel, Peter had to swallow the bitter pill of being called a man of little faith.
We too must humbly swallow the bitter pill of humility and acknowledge that we have little faith and we also doubted God especially when the going gets rough and we want to take the easy way out.
We only need to cry out "Lord! Save me!" and what is bitter will be turned into something better.