September 17, 2006 (Mark 8:28)
Jesus: Who do people say I am?
The bit of Mark’s gospel we just heard marks a turning point in the story of Jesus’ life and ministry. Jesus is named Messiah by Peter, and then begins a series of three predictions about what lies ahead for him, each followed by teaching on discipleship. The question posed by Jesus today is one that unfortunately has dominated the discourse of the Church for the last two thousand years. It was a powerful question, especially for the first century church trying to come to terms with the meaning of Jesus for their life and times. The question helped focus the Church for the next five centuries on Jesus and his role in the cosmic order of things. Who do people say that I am? asks Jesus, and the Church has been busy coming up with answers ever since.
In the story today Peter thinks he has it. He comes up with one of the answers we might offer to the question of who Jesus is when he declares, “You are the messiah”.
Israel in the time of Jesus was entertaining the dream that someday the messiah would come. A shepherd like Moses, a great king like David only better would come and set things right. One of the great truths of life that Israel understood was that in human affairs things always needed setting right, and that would never happen until God intervened by sending the new anointed leader. Within thirty years after Jesus death the idea that Jesus was that messiah had caught hold. Mark has Peter declare it boldly. Years later, when Matthew adapts Mark’s story in his gospel, he has Jesus tell Peter that God must have revealed such a great truth to him. In Mark’s version though, Jesus responds to Peter’s declaration by saying, shhh. Don’t tell anyone.
If Jesus is the messiah, then our rescuer has come--not exactly what Israel was expecting--but messiah none the less. A bit of an enigma, savior and cross, but if we work at it...let the question of who Jesus is direct our spiritual pondering...we might be able to celebrate with Peter the coming of the King. We hear today that Jesus is Messiah.
We hear also that Jesus is the one who suffers. Mark writes the crucifixion into the rest of the story, working the coming end into the narrative of Jesus’ travels and teaching. We get plenty of warning about what lies ahead for Jesus. Jesus tells his disciples plainly what he is walking into in Jerusalem---trouble, pain and death. That part is so hard for them to hear that Peter tries to make him shut up about all that stuff. This part of who Jesus is is hard to witness. Anyone who tried to sit through the Mell Gibson movie a few years ago knows that. The Church, though, learned to see in the crucifixion the story of the obedient child of God--the suffering servant--the lamb of God. Who do people say that I am? asks Jesus, and the Church has been straining to answer ever since...messiah, lamb of God, prophet.
Jesus is also teacher and prophet, mystic and bearer of warnings. “Those who save their lives will lose them, those who lose their lives will save them.” Huh? Jesus is the one who invites his followers into the deep mystery of discipleship....he speaks in mysteries and riddles. Discipleship must therefor be about trying to figure all this out. What is he saying? What does it mean? Even here, the focus is on Jesus as bearer of secret truths for the faithful. We hear also today from the Jesus we all know but try not to talk about too much, the one who looks into the future and warns--threatens even those whose attitude and understanding of him isn’t up to snuff. No wonder the Church has spent so much effort through the centuries trying to figure out Jesus.
The answers we’ve come up with haven’t been easy, and they seem to change just when we think we’re getting close. If, as is so often taught, our salvation hinges on coming up with the right answer then we’d better keep working on the question of who Jesus is.
For five centuries the Church worked on its creeds, it still revisits them sometimes even though it has tried to lock in the answer. In each new generation there is need for more discussion as we consider who Jesus is in relationship to the unfolding human story. We return again and again to the question. Who is Jesus. It is a question we cannot begin to answer adequately in a lifetime but many of us spend our lives on it anyway.....and that’s too bad.
Because there is another question which, if we apply ourselves, we might come closer to answering in our lifetime.
It is a question the Church often left behind, discouraged even in its quest to understand Jesus--to put him on the throne and dress him in royal garb. It is a question I’m certain, that Jesus would rather have us address than questions of where he fits in the heavenly lineup. It is a question central to advancing the work of Christ in the world---the work of building bonds of love between humans and humans, and between humanity and God. It is a question that can transform religious speculation into concrete, measurable signs of love and caring--signs of Jesus presence in a hungry world.
Think about the story we just heard. When Peter told Jesus that he was the messiah, Jesus didn’t affirm or deny Peter’s claim. He simply said, don’t talk about that. He then went on to say that his followers would walk a path not that different from the one Jesus himself was taking, a path through trouble, in service to others. Peter says to Jesus, you are the king! and Jesus says, ‘enough about me. Let’s talk about you. I know who I am. It’s time for you to figure out who you are.’
Who do people say I am, asks Jesus. Our road like his involves asking that same question. Who do people say we are? As a Church? As a community? As members of the human race?
What signs might others use to answer that question? Do they see in us as they did in Jesus a relationship between our actions and those of others who have served the dream of God?
In a world where so many are still waiting for the messiah to come.....stilll waiting for things to be set right....the baptized--the body of Christ--must ask the question.
We can ask it as if we believe ourselves to be Jesus, present here and now in this world because that is who we are. For each of us, you, me Jesus, the question is the same.
Who do people say that I am.
Amen. JB