TUESDAY, FIFTH WEEK OF LENT

Jesus asked
“Who do you say that I am?”

Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. Mark 8: 27-30

At a nice restaurant, a woman paid for her and her companion’s meals using her credit card. The waiter who had served her lunch took it and not only charged the meal to the card but also copied its number, expiration date, and three-digit code. He began a methodical process of reinventing using her information and claiming it as his. It took nearly a year for her to complete the slow and maddening process of trying to reclaim her financial and personal stability.

In this culture, our identity is acknowledged by a driver’s license, a birth certificate, a passport, a Social Security card, a school ID, or some other form of documentary evidence. Plenty of institutions, including the Federal government, hope to introduce more secure forms of identification containing personal biometric data. The stated purpose of these innovations is to make the nightmarish experience of “identity theft” more difficult. What is truly amazing to me is how thoroughly our public identity is tied to documents that reveal our names, addresses, phone numbers, and shopping preferences. And yet, that’s not who we are.

Who do people say that I am? When Jesus asks this question he is not referring to the official census of the Roman Empire, nor to his trade, his parentage, or birthplace. The answer that comes out from the disciples is the official line: a prophet, perhaps even one of the big names in the field. Face it, though, that’s just another form of identity theft.

He then becomes extremely personal with them: Who do you say that I am? Peter’s response would not pass muster in any government in his world or our world. Not everyone is able to make this statement; there are no official documents that substantiate Peter’s apart from the texts that we Christians consider authoritative. Hidden though it may be to some, we—like Peter long ago—believe that our identities are ultimately defined by his identity: the Christ, Son of the living God.

In the silence of your heart let Jesus address his question to you—“Who do you say that I am?” Sense how your response impacts you and the world.

Jesus, you have chosen your path; you invite us to journey with you. But we tarry; we are not sure who you are. We tarry, for we fear we know who you are. We tarry, for we would keep the identities we have so carefully crafted. Forgive our hesitancy. Keep us from tarnishing your mission. Continue to remind us that our true being is in God. Amen.