Scripture Reflection, June 20: Who Do You Say That I Am?

Scripture Readings:
Zec 12: 10-11; 13:1
Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
Gal 3:26-29
Lk 9:18-24

I love this week’s gospel reading for a variety of reasons, but primarily because my prayerful imagination loves to be with Jesus when he is in prayer as we find in this week’s gospel.  Luke sets the scene with Jesus praying in solitude with his disciples.  My imagination has Jesus in prayer on the shore of the Sea of Galilee at dusk, pondering and discussing with the Father all that is happening within him.  I wonder, amidst this dialogue with God, what moved him in his prayer to ask his disciples what the crowds were saying about him?  Was he insecure in his own identity?  Did he want to gauge whether his ministry life was successful?  Had he heard rumors that were troubling to him?  Or did he just want to be amused by what people were actually thinking and saying? 

Equally as interesting to me, what moved Jesus to ask his friends who they say he was?  This question sets up an intimate moment between him and his disciples.  Will the disciples have the courage to speak what they really thought?  Perhaps from the deepest part of himself, Jesus was longing to be understood by those whom he walked with, shared with, and bared his soul to.  What if their response gave indication that they really did not understand who he was after all?  One has to be courageous and open to vulnerability to ask such a question of intimate friends.  Jesus models that a life rooted in prayer allows us to go deeper within ourselves and with our intimate companions to answer life questions that tug at our hearts and souls. 

Can you imagine the same question put to me and you by Jesus, “Who do you say that I am?”  Or even more courageously so, what if we asked Jesus the same question about ourselves?  Who does Jesus say that we are?  Paul states in his letter to the Galatians, by our baptism we have been clothed in Christ Jesus.  Does our life speak of a rich and committed spiritual life rooted in Christ or an overemphasis on the material ways of the modern world?  This week’s readings give us pause to reflect upon what our lives are saying about what and who we value.  Clothing ourselves with Christ is a challenging wardrobe to keep, but a fad worth investing in as the long-term reward is an eternal life of freedom with Christ. 

Jayne Pickett

(Jayne is a Bernardin Scholar interning with Catholics on Call and studying for her Masters Degree in Theology)

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