Who Are You
It’s exam time, and the teacher is asking his students two final questions. Only two.
How do others describe me? Who do you say that I am?
The second, even more than the first one, might be the only question in life that we ever need to answer. In fact, I dare say, if we don’t answer that question correctly, we’ve wasted not only the teacher’s time, but ours as well.
As one who has taught – and loved being a teacher – I see what Jesus is doing here by asking the two questions the way he does (Matt 16:13-20).
He first wants to establish the student-disciples’ head knowledge. What have they learned by what they have witnessed these past two years, from listening to the crowds and learning from those who have been healed and fed?
We are at the point in the educational journey where the Twelve have heard the Beatitudes, watched Peter walk on water, witnessed thousands miraculously fed, and stood nearby in awe as Rabbi Jesus made lepers whole and the paralyzed walk.
Their teacher has displayed every trait that the ancient prophets foretold, including Isaiah in our first reading (Is. 22:19-23), “He shall be a father to Jerusalem … what he opens, no one shall shut.”
This Rabbi Jesus is opening the way to the Father’s Kingdom, and so he wanted to hear from his students what they have heard whispered and spoken aloud as they made their way through both local territory and foreign lands.
“Some say you are the Baptizer or others of the great prophets of our Jewish tradition.”
Thus, the answer to question number one.
For in answering this way, the students are parroting back what every faithful Jew knew: that a prophet would arrive on the scene with mighty signs to proclaim the Messiah has come among them.
But, here’s where the follow-up comes in to play. Is Rabbi Jesus just another great man with some cool-and-challenging teachings who may or may not be able to help people in trouble?
Or, to put a modern spin on the same question: Is Jesus nothing more than another Dr. Phil, Oprah or insta-celebrity to whom people are attracted for a short time when it suits them to be?
Funny, isn’t it, how not much has changed in 2000 years since Jesus’ Incarnation. How many among us classify him as nothing more than another religious leader, like a Mohammad or the Dali Lama? How many pick-and-choose which of his teachings they find agreeable and ignore the more challenging ones? How many among us keep Jesus on an intellectual level only, knowing of him but not really knowing him?
Thus, the reason for exam question number two – the more important question that the Teacher is asking his disciples, both then and now: Who do you say I am?