Who Do You Say I Am?

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the 21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Gerard Majella Parish

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

August 21, 2011

There is a practice in today’s society that can help us to understand today’s gospel reading taken Matthew 16:13-20. It is the practice of opinion poll usually conducted everywhere especially in political and commercial field. Jesus, in today’s gospel conducts opinion poll about himself, but not for political reasons but for educational reasons.

Today’s gospel says that Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi, and having settled down asked his disciples, “What do people say that the Son of Man is?” The disciples, one after another replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” But Jesus was not done yet. He was not interested in computing and calculating his popularity or in knowing how high he was regarded by the people. He has a different reason and purpose. So he immediately fired a second question: “But who do you say that I am?”

Jesus’ second question threw his disciples off balance because they were not expecting that. The second question was met with silence as the disciples stand looking at each other. When Jesus asked the first question, all the disciples had something to say. But when the second question was asked, only Simon Peter responded: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” With gladness Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father…”

Now to be able to answer the first question, one needs to look around and to listen to public opinion, to gossips, to what people are saying about Jesus. But to be able to answer the second question, one must look inside, to listen to a completely different voice, a voice that is not of flesh and blood but that of the heavenly Father.

Today, Jesus conducts an opinion poll. But he is not so much interested in public opinions and in what others say about him. He wants to know what his disciples think of him. He wants to know what we say about him. He wants to know if there is anyone of them that knows him and that would continue with his mission after he is physically gone. He does not want his disciples to hide behind public opinions and what the polls say about him. He wants them to speak for ourselves; and he wants us to speak for ourselves.  

It is not enough to know what others have said or written about Jesus. Someone can make A in an examination on what theologians and other authors have written and said about Jesus and still not be a Christian who knows the Lord. Knowing what others have said and written about Jesus is needed for intellectual knowledge of the Lord, but ultimately, Jesus should be a personal discovery. As Catholic Christians, we should not be satisfied knowing about Jesus, we must know him. We must encounter him. It is this encounter with the Lord that changes lives. This kind of encounter transforms. When St. Augustine encountered the Lord, his declaration was Late have I loved you O Ancient Beauty. Late have I loved you. You were with me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you…I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst more. And Psalm 84:1 says, “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord God of host.”

Jesus would never ask us, “Can you tell me what others say and write about me?” But he will ask us, “Who do you say that I am?” The saints are people like us who had a profound relationship with Jesus, a relationship of love. They are people who know the Lord through their encounter with him and are not shy of talking about him. Christianity is not only about reciting a creed; it is about knowing a person- Jesus of Nazareth, the Good Shepherd.

Who do you say the Son of Man is? Today’s gospel teaches us that our discovery of Jesus should be a personal discovery. Our knowledge of Jesus should not be at second hand. Someone can know something about Jesus based on what others have said about him; someone can know and teach Christology, Eucharist, Ecclesiology etc. and still haven’t encountered the Lord personally. Our knowledge of Jesus based on an encounter with him determines the way we relate with him. Effective Christian evangelism really begins when we speak to others based on our personal experience of Jesus. Intellectual knowledge of Jesus is important, but experiential knowledge of him is even more important.

Believing in the divinity of Jesus Christ is not enough; we must also bear witness to it. Whoever knows Jesus and does not bear witness to this faith will have a tougher query before God than those who do not have this faith.

Who do you say that the Son of Man is? Those who know about him speak about him detachably; but those who know him, live him out in their lives. They are the ones who have encountered him. Just like the story of the poet and the monk, they don’t only know the Psalm, but also the shepherd.