Who do you say that I am?

I will open this column with a very short reflection on the Gospel taken from the The Living Liturgy Sunday Missal.  “ In response to Peter’s remarkable answer to Jesus’ question about his identity, Jesus gives him a new name and a new mission.  This “rock” became both the foundation stone of Jesus’ community of disciples and, ironically, later, the unstable one, who on the night of Jesus’ passion crumbled into shifting sand.  We can identify with Peter in our own weaknesses.” 

Everyone  Christian experiences the same ups and downs as Peter did. He professed Christ as the Son of the Living God and yet denied him three times during his passion.  The transfiguration experience was so profound for Peter that he wanted to stay in that moment and yet later on he was referred to by Christ as Satan.  As a matter of fact, Jesus Himself said “he who would be his disciple must deny himself, take up his cross and follow him.”  (Matthew 16:24-26)

The Gospel we hear this weekend invites to evaluate whether we really know who Jesus is or do we just know of Him.  And it is not Jesus who needs to hear our reply to that question, but rather ourselves.  The whole of Christian living is about moving from knowing of Jesus, which is purely an intellectual exercise to really knowing him, which is a deep seated heart exercise.  Right now, as you read this column, I invite you to answer Jesus’ question…. “Who do YOU say that I am?  It is in the everyday and  every situation or crisis we are faced with that determines how we will answer that question.  The victorious Christian, no matter the situation, must always answer this question honestly and not necessarily in the way he or she would be expected to……and that is OK.  

There are many times in our lives that IF we are really honest with ourselves, we could easily respond by saying “I don’t think I really know who you are.”  While in a different set of circumstances you might say what Martha said to Jesus just before the raising of Lazarus:  “Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the one who is coming into the world.”(John 11:27)

When we are honest with ourselves and with Jesus, we need never feel guilty about how we answer Jesus’ question.  He understands.  He feels every emotion and sentiment we feel.  That’s why we should consider ourselves blessed that Jesus asks each of us every moment of every day, “Who do you say that I am?”  Be honest.  Don’t shortchange yourself and don’t shortchange Jesus. 

Sincerely,

Deacon John