Twenty-First Sunday of Year A

Readings: Isa 22:19-23; 

Rom 11:33-36 and 

Matt 16:13-20

In the gospel of today, Jesus was worried about His public image, so He made His own survey. The respondents were His disciples. There were only two questions to be answered: The first is: "Who do people say that I am?" and the second question is: "Who do you say that I am?"

In response to the first question, the disciples had listened to the people and talked with people who had listened to Jesus' preaching, with those who had been cured by Jesus or had seen Him healing. The disciples were up to date as regards the latest news so, they gave the various opinions of the people. They followed what the

people were saying about Him: that He is John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

These opinions going round draw Jesus near eminent personalities: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or as others say "one of the ancient prophets" (vv. 13-14), were all of them, people with reputable credentials. The admiration of men of all times for Jesus cannot be denied. However, such esteem and veneration are not enough. He is not just one of the many who have distinguished themselves for their honesty and loyalty, love for the poor, the commitment to justice, peace, or non-violence. Jesus was not satisfied or interested in all these and hence the more profound question about His essential identity.  So, He asked the disciples themselves: "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus wanted them, as one priest once said, "to think for themselves, to form their personal convictions. 

It is at this point that Peter intervenes with the surprising answer. He speaks in the name of all and shows to have understood everything. He says to him: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God". Christ (from the Greek word "Christos" means Anointed one) and it is equivalent to the Hebrew word "Messiah" which means Saviour."You are the Messiah, the saviour of which the prophets spoke about and all our people are waiting for" (v. 16). You are the one for whom we are willing to wager our life.  St. Peter answered the question profoundly.

It is difficult to find a more exact answer, but - in the last verse of the passage (v. 20) - the Evangelist reminds that Jesus sternly imposes silence to the disciples, as he has already done with the demons. The reason is simple. Peter gave a correct answer only in form, actually he has in mind a completely different and distorted idea. He is convinced that Jesus is about to begin the kingdom of God on earth but thinks that he will implement this through a show of force, wonders and signs that will require the attention of all. He is certain that he will get a resounding success. This is also the opinion of the other disciples who, despite having understood something more than the crowds, are still prisoners of the common mentality that evaluates life's success based on triumphs. No one has yet realized that, from the outset, the Master has considered diabolical the proposal to seize power and rule over the kingdoms of this world. 

William Barclay, one commentator on this passage interpreted Peter's response by pointing out how Peter's discovery fell short of expectation: human categories alone were inadequate to identify Jesus. His public image as carpenter, teacher, faith healer, prophet and leader all fail to measure up to the true meaning of who He was. 

The question Jesus asked His disciples continues to exist even up to the present life. You and I are also asked the same question: "Who is Jesus for you and for me? It is a personal question that demands from us a personal response. It is a critical question that calls us to commitment. Your image of Jesus will identify you on how you relate and deal with other people.

Peter is a simple man, a fisherman and not an educated person but Jesus was satisfied with his answer. How about us who claim that we are educated people, persons with colleges degrees, with masters or doctor's degree, engineers, teachers, lawyers, who can read and write, do we answer Christ's question the way Peter answered?Jesus asks in the gospel today: "Who do you say I am?"

Jesus asks and Peter answers.....where does Peter get the idea that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Messiah......well, he gets it from being with Jesus and coming to understand that all the things Jesus does – healing, helping, forgiving, loving, teaching, living out life in a certain, specific way – all these aspects of Jesus come together and define Him. Jesus is the Messiah.

In the world of business today.....specifically in the marketing departments......we would say that Jesus has a specific brand image. Think about it.....when I say "Jesus" it triggers within each person here a whole series of thoughts that contain within them the essence of how to live out the Christian life.

OK – then what does it mean when, in response to being asked who we are, what faith we follow, we say  "we are followers of Jesus"....we are Christian......we are Catholic"? In all honesty, if it is an authentic description of "who someone could say I am", what it has to mean is that my life reflects the same things that the life of Jesus did.....it means I am kind, loving, forgiving, patient, that I care for the poor, that I fight for the marginalized....all the things that define being a follower of Jesus, I am. If no one knew whether or not we belonged to this Church, would we still be taken to be a Christian? Would we be seen as showing the same characteristics as Jesus?

Think back to the early church. The thing that attracted new members to the faith was the living example of how the Christians related to one another and the world itself – "see how they love one another" was the behavior of a Christian. Seeing that model was what brought people to join. Our reflection for this day...think back through you're last couple of days.....if a stranger were to have followed you around all day long, each day, would that person have been able to respond to a question from someone asking "who you are" by saying "he (or she) is a disciple of Jesus Christ".....by our actions in life, would we be taken to be taken to be a Christian?