One time as they walk along Jesus asks his disciples two very
different questions. Both seem very
ordinary, but the second poses a serious challenge that compels a choice on
their part. The first question about who others are saying Jesus is compels very
little from the disciples beyond their reporting the known facts, much like
reporting the results of a political poll.
Their answer about who others think Jesus is reveals nothing about what
the disciples themselves believe about who Jesus is. Nor does the question require any commitment
to Jesus or to his way of life.
The second question, on the other
hand, seems just as ordinary but turns out to be challenging and the disciples’
response revealing. This second question—who do YOU say that I am—is also a bit
mysterious because by this time the disciples had a fairly good idea of who
Jesus is based on what they saw him do.
They saw the large crowds gather as
he went around teaching. They were there
when Jesus fed the people with a few loaves of bread. They witnessed his
challenge to the overbearing authority and hypocrisy of the Pharisees. They saw how deeply Jesus cared for the poor
and the oppressed and went out of his way to include sinners and outcasts in
his inner circle of friends. So, why on earth did Jesus ask them such a
question?
Jesus knows that his time with the
disciples is nearing an end and thus they must decide who they believe Jesus is
once and for all. The question therefore
prods some level of commitment from the disciples right then and there. From
this point on, the disciples can no longer remain aloof. They must decide what they personally believe
about who Jesus is, and their answer will establish who they are in relation to
Jesus. The question thus calls for a commitment to Jesus and a determination of
a relationship with him.
Had the disciples remained aloof,
they would have answered his question based only on what Jesus did. But, they knew because Jesus had shown them
that a person is always more than the sum of what he or she does. Parents are more than bread winners, grass
cutters, house cleaners, cooks, chauffeurs, and disciplinarians. Children are more than students, sports
players, budding musicians, and consumers of parental resources. We are always more than “Do-er’s; We are “Be-ers”.
Likewise, Jesus is more than the
sum of what He does. That’s why he
asks: Who do you say that I AM? When Peter says, “you are the Christ,” he is
saying from his heart: You are the Anointed One of God. In this way, Peter affirms that Jesus is in
relationship with God, and that this relationship is the essence of who Jesus
is; the essence of his being. If Jesus
is in relationship with God, then so are the disciples.
This mutual relationship is what
motivates Jesus to teach the disciples to begin their prayer with the words,
“Our Father.” This greeting shows the
disciples that they too are in relationship with the Father and with each
other, just as Jesus is in relationship with the Father and with them. Thus, the disciples are also in relationship
with Jesus as brothers and sisters.
The same applies to us as
well. We too are in relationship with
God our Father and with each other, and in relationship with Jesus, our
brother, and he with us. This is who we
are; this relationship is the essence of our being. Thus, when we answer the
question Jesus asks—who do you say I am?—we also answer the question—who am
I? Our answer reveals who we are in
relation to Jesus and in relation to each other.
Jesus asks the disciples these
questions while times are good to prepare them for the bad times ahead. Later, the disciples will have no time for
reflection. In this sense, Jesus tries
to convey the urgency of Isaiah’s warning to “Seek the LORD while he may be
found, call him while he is near” (Is 55:6).
Jesus knows that his disciples will need to rely on more than what
others say about Him in order to get through the tough times ahead. The disciples will need their own personal
commitment to Jesus and faith in him and in each other to overcome the
challenges and threats that are about to unfold.
Jesus asks the same two questions
of us for the same reason. The answer to
the first question may be easy enough as it was for the disciples. Our answer to the second question is likewise
as revealing for us as it was for the early disciples. Our answer reveals who we believe Jesus is
and who we believe we are in relation to him and to each other. It is a question that we cannot avoid however
we choose to answer.
