According to Luke’s gospel Jesus was “praying alone with only the disciples near him” when he asked his followers what the crowds were saying about him (Luke 9:18). When they had answered Jesus asked, “But who do you say that I am?” (v. 20). The juxtaposition of Jesus praying followed by his questions is of interest to me. Luke has made a point of setting them side by side. But why? What is the connection? For one thing, in praying Jesus had been talking to God, interacting with his heavenly Father. In doing so Jesus would have encountered the truth: about his ministry, about his coming passion, about the world in general. But in turning to the disciples Jesus would have found supposition, rumor, gossip. John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets raised from the dead, this is what the crowds were saying about Jesus (v. 19), none of which was true. Only when Peter made his profession of faith, that Jesus was “the Messiah of God,” was there a blending of God’s truth with the imperfect insight of humanity. By God’s grace Peter got it right and so put to rest the idle chatter of the crowds.
God had to be present for the truth to come out. God had to be a part of the conversation before Peter or anyone else could grasp what was going on. Jesus represented that place where God’s word and human understanding intersected, a place that remains available to us today. Before we can fully understand our own place in the work of the church we should pray, listen for God’s voice, study scripture, converse with others, and trust the Holy Spirit to guide us in our thinking. We should ponder in our hearts what it means to be a part of God’s people and who Jesus really is, for us and for the world, and then seek to bring that understanding along with us in our day to day lives. Who is Jesus? In a lot of ways, I suppose, it depends on who you ask. But the best answer will only come when we accept the honesty we find in God and allow it to work in our hearts.
Prayer: Gracious God, you have made yourself known to us in Jesus Christ. Help us to make that Jesus known to others in what we do and say today and always. Amen.
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