But who do YOU say that I am?

"But who do YOU say that I am?" (Lk 9:20)

These words of Jesus speak directly to each one, causing each one to look into himself and his relationship with Jesus. The Word of God and Peter set for man a picture, an image which show a relationship with Jesus brings a relationship with God.

Jesus is beginning to have His Apostles focus on the entire picture of who He is; not a miracle worker, not a good preacher, not a prophet. Just as Jesus spends much time in prayerful solitude with His heavenly Father, the Apostles and Jesus must have honest, complete communication too to understand the great lessons of being in the Kingdom of God.

Peter has changed since his introduction to the Rabbi, Teacher. His brother, Andrew first brought notice of Jesus to Peter; they had maybe even followed John the Baptist, looking for the Messiah. Peter met Jesus, was invited to "Come follow me." Searching for someone greater than himself is imbedded in man; it's the nugget of faith within man which man must nudge forward by his desire to seek truth, to bring forth into the light, love.

An analogy may be like following the path of the moon as it moves across the bay. First there is just a glimmer of light on the water but as it moves westward, the light of the moon becomes wider and more pronounced as the time of day approaches. Daylight follows with even more light until the universe is filled with light.

Peter began with desire and hope, which transformed Peter to accept Jesus as the anointed Son of God with God's message of love for man. Through the eyes of faith and the presence of Jesus, Peter grew in belief, but Jesus has much more to teach, and the lessons will again be life-changing. Lessons which are beyond human expectations; lessons requiring humility, patience, obedience these cannot be answered with words, but actions.

Marcel Proust said, "The true voyage of self-discovery lies not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."

It means look at the cross. Do you see brutal hatred or do you see love for man? Both are true, but if one only sees hatred, Christ's suffering is in vain. One's eyes are closed to Christian reality. One is no longer Abraham's descendants and heirs, children of God; one does not see with the eyes of faith. Matt 16:19 says: For flesh and blood (reason) has not revealed this to you.

The action Christ is asking the Apostles and us is to take up our cross daily- to unite our suffering with His suffering on the cross- to raise our suffering as a sacrifice to God, as did Jesus on the cross. Only then can we answer as did Peter: You are the Christ of God.

Later, after Jesus' death and Resurrection and Ascension into heaven Peter wrote:

"Although you have not seen him, you love him; even though you do not see him, now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy." (1Pt 1:8)