Who Do People Say That I Am?
(By Fr. Dexter Brereton)
[simpleazon-image align=”left” asin=”1612788319″ locale=”us” height=”375″ src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BqsAcdiFL.jpg” width=”240″]Today’s passage from Mark 8: 27-35 is a pivotal one in Mark’s gospel and provides the theme for Jesus’ teaching along the road during the rest of the gospel – namely “Christology.” Christology is the reflection – in a systematic way – on the meaning of the person, being and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. How we understand Jesus Christ is of profound importance to how we understand ourselves as Christians and followers of his. Who we think Jesus is, is extremely influential on how we live as Christians.
Jesus begins by asking the question that launches the whole enterprise of Christology: “Who do people say I am?” Like the people of today, his disciples, at first, offer a variety of responses: John, the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets. It is Peter who speaks up and declares with remarkable insight: “You are the Christ”. The word Christ in Hebrew is rendered by the word “masiah” which means anointed. Though various people in ancient times were anointed, the word came to be applied especially to kings – and in the case of many Jews, the long-awaited Davidic King, or ‘son’ of David who would restore Israel’s political fortunes. The origins of this prophecy go all the way back to the Old Testament in 2 Samuel 7 where the prophet Nathan tells David that “I shall appoint your heir, your own son to succeed you (and I will make his sovereignty secure).” Originally applied to King Solomon, its meaning is projected by the prophets over time into the distant unknown future when God will bring a decisive end to human history and establish the kingdom of peace.
Peter no doubt understood this “Christ” or “Messiah” in political terms hence his reaction of remonstrating with Jesus, causing Jesus to give him a good “bouff” (or scolding) “Get behind me Satan! Because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s!” The disciples want a Messiah who is a mighty deliverer, but Jesus’ way is the radically different way of suffering, the way of the cross. Jesus as Messiah works by standing in deep solidarity with all who suffer and even die long before their time.
The reading makes an important observation about leadership – especially leadership that is truly transformative and liberating for others. This leadership is never purely an “ascent”, about beating and domination of others; leadership, that is truly worthy of the name always involves an element of ‘suffering’ always involves the way of the cross. There is the need for patience, there is the need for restraint with one’s enemies, there is the need for compassion for those who cannot follow the rules.
The dialogue between Peter and Jesus is one that occurs from time to time in our lives, even between different parts of ourselves. We get a new promotion or a bigger position and after a few weeks we realize that great responsibility and authority bring with them more than their fair share of problems. The “Peter” in us may revolt and begin to remonstrate with the rest of us. The deeper, more reasonable “Jesus” part of ourselves, becomes roused to anger and we rebuke the Peter in us saying “Get behind me Satan! Because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.” Here I think of people who may have just taken on the responsibility of caring for an aged parent, or perhaps, a teacher who has just been appointed principal of a new and very difficult school – or even Trinidad &Tobago’s newly appointed Prime Minister about to take up his job. We come to realize that there is joy and satisfaction in service but also that a life of service is not a life that is ‘problem free.’ We may rebel and wish to reject the problems that responsibility brings but we also have the words of Jesus toward the end of this reading: ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me.’
