Who Do You Say That I Am?

 

Who Do You Say That I Am? (Mark 8:27-38)

“Your thoughts don’t come from God but from human nature…” (Mark 8:33)

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As we set out from Bethsaida on the north end of Lake Galilee, we walked toward Caesarea Philippi. I never really liked that place. Many generations ago, my people turned away from God and set up places to worship Baal there. Then later on, the Greeks erected a magnificent shrine to their god of the shepherds, Pan. And now the city has been named after Caesar, and every year the citizens are required to declare that Caesar is Lord.

I was thinking about these things as we drew near to the city, wondering how the people would receive Jesus there. Jesus turned to us and asked, “Who do people say that I am?” A few of the twelve disciples offered answers: “Elijah,” “John the Baptist, returned from the dead,” “one of the prophets,” they said. Then Jesus looked right at us and asked us, “And who do you say that I am?” Against the backdrop of a place of various pagan influences, I don’t think Jesus’ question was coincidental; I think he really wanted us to decide who we believe he is, among all the deities that people worship. Peter spoke the words that I think most of us were thinking: “You are the Messiah.”

This was a very big moment! Finally, one of us had put words to what we were thinking – to what we were hoping. Everything that Jesus had been doing and saying up to now pointed to this revelation. Curiously enough, there were no trumpets from heaven, no angelic choruses singing his praises at this revelation. Jesus simply told us to keep it to ourselves.

Then he began to say things that made us wonder if we were right in believing him to be the Messiah. He began to say that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be turned over to the officials, who would kill him; and then he would rise from the dead. Peter, again voicing concerns that all of us were having, told Jesus he shouldn’t be talking like that. 

That sparked a fire in Jesus. Immediately turned and looked at Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! Your thoughts don’t come from God, but from human nature!” And then Jesus said more things that seemed harsh, and that confused us. He spoke of us needing to forget ourselves – to deny ourselves and carry our crosses (what on earth does he mean by that?). He said that the only way to find life is to lose our lives for him and the Good News. Then he drew a line in the sand by saying, “Anyone who is ashamed of me and my message – well, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes.”

I think all of us felt like Jesus had sort of punched us in the gut. Not sort of, but really. His words took the wind out of us. Had we got it all wrong? Was he not the Messiah after all?

As I reflected on this incident later, I remembered what Jesus had said to Peter: “Your thoughts don’t come from God, but from human nature.” It made me realize that we weren’t wrong in believing Jesus is the Messiah; but we were wrong in our thoughts of what the Messiah would be like. Our thoughts and hopes for the Messiah were not the same as God’s plans for the Messiah. It made me remember what God had said through the prophet long ago: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are different from yours. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways and thoughts above yours.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Walking with Jesus means I have to be willing to put aside my own preconceptions of who Jesus must be as the Messiah, as my Lord. Apparently, walking with Jesus means walking down a road that leads to rejection of him. It means, apparently, following him to his death. Walking with Jesus also means, apparently, that I must be willing to sacrifice my own plans for the future and for my life, for the sake of following him.

And somehow, mysteriously, walking with Jesus on his terms will also mean that I will find life in all its fullness. By losing my life for his sake, by carrying my cross (whatever that means) – by sticking with Jesus even when I don’t understand all of his ways, I will experience true life as God intends for me.

I’m still confused by it all. The claims that Jesus makes and the demands that he puts on me are heavy, and I don’t understand it all. But so far I have trusted Jesus, and he hasn’t let me down. Even though I don’t understand it all, trusting that Jesus will show me the way as I walk with him is enough.

Dear Jesus, I wish I knew everything there is to know about you. I wish I could know exactly what it means that you are Messiah, the Anointed One of God. Help me to put aside my own preconceptions, so that I can embrace you as you truly are. Help me to accept the difficult truths and the demands that are place on everyone who chooses to walk with you. Help me to believe, to really believe. Amen.