In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus puts the apostles to the test. For several months now, they have been sharing their daily lives together. The apostles have heard the message delivered by Jesus and have witnessed the miracles He has performed. His words and actions likely stirred in them a sense of enthusiasm and hope.
Jesus Himself already knows that they are devoted to Him, having left everything to follow Him. He also knows that many people regard Him as an important man. In fact, He is compared to some of the greatest prophets of the past.
However, this is not enough for Jesus. That is why, while in the region of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asks His disciples:
“But who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29)
“After hearing me, after sharing my daily life, do you also think that I am merely a prophet, an important man, but still just a man like any other?” Peter’s response to Jesus’ question is remarkable, and more than that, it is a true profession of faith: “You are the Christ” (Mark 8:29), meaning, “the Messiah, the one we have been waiting for!”
With his response, Peter acknowledges that Christ is not just a mere man, but far more — He is the Messiah, the one sent by God.
Today, just as two thousand years ago, debates about the identity of Christ continue. Many people express their opinions about who Christ is. Many acknowledge the importance and historical role of Jesus. He is often seen as a great prophet, comparable to figures like Muhammad, Buddha, Confucius, and many others. But for us, who have walked with Christ since our baptism, is Jesus really just a prophet?
This Sunday’s Gospel offers us the opportunity to reflect on our faith, to reevaluate our relationship with Jesus, and to ask ourselves who Christ truly is for us in our lives.
Today, just as nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus asks each of us: “And you, who do you say I am?”
Jesus is the Messiah, the one sent by God, He is our Lord and our God.
Yet, we must also remember that He is present in every person we meet. To believe in and love God means also to love our neighbor.
Isaiah 50:5-9a / James 2:14-18 / Mark 8:27-35
From the Gospel according to Mark
Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that I am?”
They said in reply,
“John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets.”
And he asked them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said to him in reply,
“You are the Christ.”
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it.”
For today’s readings, please refer to Vatican News.
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