23-Sep-16

Gospel LK 9:18-22

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’”
Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
Reflection:

Jesus had spent nearly three years teaching His disciples and "the crowds" what it meant to be children of God: turn the other cheek, give looking for nothing in return, forgive and you will be forgiven, judge not and you will not be judged, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the sorrowful.
Now, He was on the last leg of His journey: Jesus would soon face the cross in Jerusalem. If He died without anyone recognizing Him as the Son of God, His teaching would have no authority.
"........he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
The answer as to what the crowds thought was unclear. "They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah..." still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’”
So, then He asked the disciples, “But who do you say that I am?”
Two thousand years later, this remains the critical question for each of us, ".......who do you say that I am?"
Do I only know the teaching of Jesus Christ, or do I know the man?
Can I, like Peter, say without hesitation, you are "The Christ of God.”
"Though my sight be lost, I do not yet lose my faith: when I can no longer see, I can still believe." - - IVAN PANIN