Luke 9:18-22: a reflection

18As he was praying alone, the disciples were near him, and he asked them, “Who do the multitudes say that I am?” 19They answered, “‘John the Baptizer,’ but others say, ‘Elijah,’ and others, that one of the old prophets has risen again.” 20He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” 21But he warned them and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.”

As Jesus prays with his disciples, he asks them first what others say about him, and then turns the question directly to them: But who do you say that I am? It is a personal question, pressing past what the crowds and others say to what they themselves believe. Peter answers, The Christ of God. Jesus will not let them rest in reporting the opinions of others; he presses each of them to answer for himself who he is. The question, who do you say that I am, must be answered personally, not by repeating what others say.

Notice how Jesus presses past others' opinions to a personal question. He first asks what the multitudes say, and there are many answers, John the Baptist, Elijah, a prophet. But then he asks, who do you say that I am? It is no longer about the opinions of others, but about their own conviction. Each must answer for himself; it is not enough to report what others say. Jesus presses the question home personally: not what have you heard, but who do you say that I am? The answer must be one's own, a personal confession, not a secondhand report of others' views.

That personal question is worth taking to heart, for Jesus presses it to each of us: who do you say that I am? We can rest in what others say about Jesus, the opinions of the crowd, the views we have inherited, without ever answering the question for ourselves; but Jesus asks each of us personally, who do you say that I am? The question must be answered by each of us, out of our own conviction, not by repeating what others say. Do not rest in the opinions of others about Jesus; answer his question for yourself, who do you say that I am, out of your own conviction. Answer Jesus' personal question for yourself, who do you say that I am, out of your own conviction rather than repeating what others say, as Peter confessed him to be the Christ of God; for Jesus presses the question home to each of us personally, and it must be answered by each with a confession of our own, not a secondhand report.

Lord Jesus, as you pray with your disciples, you ask them first what others say about you, and then turn the question directly to them: but who do you say that I am? It is a personal question, pressing past what the crowds and others say to what they themselves believe. Peter answers, the Christ of God. You will not let them rest in reporting the opinions of others; you press each of them to answer for himself who you are. Show me how you press past others' opinions to a personal question. You first ask what the multitudes say, and there are many answers, John the Baptist, Elijah, a prophet. But then you ask, who do you say that I am? It is no longer about the opinions of others, but about their own conviction. Each must answer for himself; it is not enough to report what others say. You press the question home personally: not what have you heard, but who do you say that I am? Take that personal question to my heart, for you press it to me: who do you say that I am? I can rest in what others say about you, the opinions of the crowd, the views I have inherited, without ever answering the question for myself; but you ask me personally, who do you say that I am? The question must be answered by me, out of my own conviction, not by repeating what others say. Keep me from resting in the opinions of others about you; help me answer your question for myself, Lord, who do you say that I am, out of my own conviction, as Peter confessed you to be the Christ of God.