Theme—Who is Jesus for us?
The story is told of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson on a camping trip. As they lay sleeping one night, Holmes woke Watson and said, "Watson, look up into the sky and tell me what you see." Watson said, "I see millions of stars." Holmes asked, "And what does that tell you?" Watson replied, "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Theologically, it tells me that God is great and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it tells me that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. And what does it tell you?" Holmes answered, "Someone stole our tent." Some people are great at speculative knowledge but when it comes to its implication for practical living they score zero. Such is Peter in today's gospel.
A little girl went to the catechism class for the first time. After the class her father asked her, “ Amy, how did you like catechism class today?” The little girl said, “I did not like it at all’. Her mother said, “ it was your first time, just wait a few weeks. You will come to like it.”
Three weeks later the little girl came home from catechism class with big tears in her eyes. “What is the matter?” Her mother asked. ‘It is the catechism class”, the little girl said. ‘Must I keep going?” ‘ Why’ asked her mother ‘ what is wrong?’
‘Well’, said the little girl, ‘Everybody talks about somebody, gossiping about someone named Jesus. And I don’t know who he is. I have never even heard of and met him. Who is he?
Recently I went for a seminar for a group of adults. The topic was-- who is Jesus for us? After the preliminaries I started a chit chat with the participants.
Who is Jesus for you? One young man got up and said. Jesus for me is a Superstar. I said to him I don’t understand what you said. He said father my hobby is watching films. In the films we have many superstars for e.g. Jackie Chan an action hero or Arnold another action hero! In the films we see these superstars coming on a stylish bike and the adversaries, opponents are attacked and destroyed. At the end these super starts take their bike and just move off. So for me Jesus is a superstar like them.
Another girl got up said Jesus is not a super for me but Jesus is a historical figure. Jesus is a person who divided history into two. Ad and BC—Before Christ and after Christ. I just study about him in the history classes.
Yet another person answered, Jesus for me is a revolutionary. He said, we read in the gospel that one day Jesus came to the temple of God, he saw people engaged in selling and buying there. He was angry with them. He drove them out. He overturned the tables of money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. Only a revolutionary can do this. Another girl got up said for me Jesus is not a superstar, not a revolutionary or not a historical figure but I go to church every day, I participate in the family prayer, I attend parish retreat and I go for Novenas, For me Jesus is a miracle worker.
Jesus asks us the same question today. Who is Jesus for us today? Have we experienced him?
Let us look at the passage to understand the question in better way. Jesus is asking the question ‘what do people say?’ The answer is given but Jesus asks again a personal question to them. What do you say about me?
Let us go understand the passage. Jesus asks the question in a place called Caesarea Philippi. What is the special about this place? It is a place named after Caesar and Philip. t is a place where they are known and famous. It is a place of their achievements and success. Another characteristic of this place is that there is plenty of wealth, prosperity and worshipping false gods. In the context of these people forgot about faith and moral living. There he asks the question.
Peter replies that you are the son of living god.
Christ asks us the same question today in the context of wealth, prosperity and worshipping false gods. Who is Jesus for me? In a charismatic prayer meeting participants are sharing their god experience. One said Jesus is a friend for me. Another said Jesus is for a healer etc. At the end one got up said that Jesus is my son in-law.
Who is Jesus for me and how can I encounter Jesus today?
