“WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?”

 Meditation for the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
(Is 22:19-23; Rm 11:33-36; Mt 16:13-20)

When Jesus came to the district of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” Jesus did not ask this question for personal validation. It was for the good of the disciples, for their personal reflection, and for them to sieve off the popular ideas about Jesus that sounded great but not true. Popular and trending notions are quite attractive, such that the disciples seemed to have settled for some of them. They answered Jesus, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Often times, popular opinions do not attract the kind of personal commitment that faith requires. A faith that is based only on the opinions of others about Jesus or based on our human contingent needs may not preserve to eternity.

 

Then, Jesus asked them in a more personal and intimate way, “But who do you say that I am?” God does not deal with at a shallow level. The second reading talks about the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. His judgments are unsearchable and His ways are inscrutable. If God touches us at such depth that reaches the soul, He must have an overwhelming influence on us and our response in faith cannot be shallow or based on mere popular opinion. Our response of faith must be rooted in personal experience of Him, which comes from divine revelation. Yes, it is only an experience of God that can define God and give us such conviction and strength that can endure till eternity.

 

Hence, Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living god.” Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” Peter’s openness to the divine revelation about Jesus Christ gives him such experience of faith that sets him apart from the crowd and popular opinion. There is a height of faith we cannot climb unless we have such experience that is rich in wisdom and knowledge and is unsearchable. As Jesus declared Peter the rock on which the Church is built, we see how the human agency can prevail against evil if it is open to divine revelation. Standing secure on the authority of Peter the Rock, the Church exercises the power of the “Keys of the kingdom of heaven” for the salvation of all.

 

The prophecy of Isaiah in the first reading is here fulfilled. Through the Church standing on the rock, we have been confirmed and sealed in divine grace. Evil cannot defeat those standing on the authority of the keys. Thus, the Church is constantly alive and anew to all generations because she is fed by divine revelation. Through the Church, the riches of God’s wisdom and knowledge is constantly made available to us. This is how we remain firm in faith, at the same time we are enriched and renewed in faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ. And as we grow in knowledge of Jesus, we deepen our self-awareness and understanding of one another. Therefore, the answer to the question of Jesus: “Who do you say that I am?” leads to grow in understanding ourselves and our neighbor, and to draw us to that depth of faith is authentically personal and at the same time witness to divine revelation. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Sunday August 27, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com