Mark 8:25-29: a reflection

25Then again he laid his hands on his eyes. He looked intently, and was restored, and saw everyone clearly. 26He sent him away to his house, saying, “Don’t enter into the village, nor tell anyone in the village.” 27Jesus went out, with his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” 28They told him, “John the Baptizer, and others say Elijah, but others, one of the prophets.” 29He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”

As Jesus walks with his disciples, he asks them first what others say about him, and then he turns the question on them directly: But who do you say that I am? It is not enough to know what others say; each must answer for himself. And Peter answers, You are the Christ. The question Jesus put to his disciples is the question he puts to each of us: not what others say about him, but who we ourselves say he is. It is a personal, decisive question, which each must answer for himself.

Notice the personal, decisive question Jesus asks: who do you say that I am? He first asked what others said, and the disciples reported the various opinions. But then he pressed the question home to them personally: but who do you say that I am? It was not enough to know the opinions of others; each had to answer for himself who Jesus was to him. The question was personal and decisive, requiring each one's own answer, not a report of what others thought. Who do you say that I am? is the question each must answer.

That personal question is worth taking to heart, for Jesus puts it to each of us: not what others say, but who we ourselves say he is. We can know what others say about Jesus, the opinions of the world, of others around us; but the decisive question is our own: who do we say that he is? It is not enough to know what others think; each of us must answer for ourselves who Jesus is to us. Do not rest in the opinions of others about Jesus, as though knowing what they say were enough; answer for yourself the question Jesus asks, who do you say that I am? Give your own answer to Jesus' personal question, confessing who he is to you, as Peter answered, you are the Christ, rather than merely knowing what others say; for Jesus puts the decisive question to each of us personally, who do you say that I am? and each must answer for himself.

Lord Jesus, as you walk with your disciples, you ask them first what others say about you, and then you turn the question on them directly: but who do you say that I am? It is not enough to know what others say; each must answer for himself. And Peter answers, you are the Christ. The question you put to your disciples is the question you put to each of us: not what others say about you, but who we ourselves say you are. It is a personal, decisive question. Show me the personal, decisive question you ask: who do you say that I am? You first asked what others said, and the disciples reported the various opinions. But then you pressed the question home to them personally. It was not enough to know the opinions of others; each had to answer for himself who you were to him. The question was personal and decisive, requiring each one's own answer. Take that personal question to my heart, for you put it to each of us: not what others say, but who we ourselves say you are. I can know what others say about you, the opinions of the world; but the decisive question is my own: who do I say that you are? It is not enough to know what others think; I must answer for myself who you are to me. Keep me from resting in the opinions of others about you, as though knowing what they say were enough; help me answer for myself the question you ask, Lord: who do you say that I am? Help me give my own answer, confessing who you are to me, as Peter answered, you are the Christ.