You Are The Messiah

 

 Mark 8: 27-33

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah

²⁷ Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

²⁸ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

²⁹ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”

³⁰ Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

Jesus Predicts His Death

³¹ He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. ³² He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

³³ But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Jesus was on a mission; he needed belief in him and support for the plan to save us all by sacrificing his life, a plan so drastic that Peter could not accept it, and got a scolding for his disbelief. Peter was brave and insightful to recognize and name Jesus as the Messiah, but he was slow to accept that this Messiah would have to die to accomplish his mission. Peter's denial and subsequent rebuke by Jesus is a gift for us, in case we have doubts and denials of God's plan for the world and for me in particular.  Many times, if not most of the time, God's plan is not my plan and I have to learn to let go of it and trustingly comply with his.  May Peter, who learned his lesson from the lips of Jesus, help us to overcome our rebellious impulses and recognize that Jesus, the Messiah, just might have a better plan than I have.

Bro. Rene

Jesus our Teacher, you challenged your disciples to know you more intimately, and so come to recognize you as the Christ. Help us never to be content with our knowledge of you, but always to desire to know and love you more. Bring our hearts to rejoice in Peter’s confession that “You are the Christ” – our salvation and the fulfillment of our lives. Amen.

  ​​Rev. Louis DelFra, C.S.C.