So, what we believe about God matters, more than anything else in life. And that’s probably why Jesus initiated the conversation in today’s gospel reading. Because Jesus knew that what the disciples thought of him would affect how they would live their lives going forward. Their theology,their understanding of God,mattered. It mattered then. And it matters now. So Jesus sat the disciples down and had a theological conversation with them.
He first asked them a fairly easy question, “Who do people say that I am?” Well, some say John the Baptist, they answered, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. It’s a pretty easy question, because they are just sharing what they hear, rather than what they believe. This wouldn’t be a difficult question for any of us to answer. Or anyone else, for that matter. But then Jesus asked his disciples the harder question, the more important question: “Who do you say that I am?” Now, we might think of this as an easy question, too.
Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. We all know that. We know the answer to this question. We’ve heard it many times before. But Jesus wants more, I believe, than the normal Sunday School answer. Jesus wants us to answer this question not only with our head, but with our heart, too, and with our soul and with our life.
Who do you say that Jesus is? If Jesus Himself were to ask you that question, how would you answer it? And is your life reflecting that answer? What do you believe about God? What do you believe about Jesus? The answer will set the course of your life. It matters, more than anything else in this world.
Erick Bouwmeester
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