In today’s Gospel Peter confesses that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ. Jesus begins questioning his disciples to see if they truly know who he is. At first the disciples give the answers of other people: “Some say John the Baptist, others, Elijah, others one of the prophets.” Jesus then makes the question more personal and direct: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter responds with his confession that Jesus is the Messiah.
While Peter correctly answers Jesus’ question, he still does not have complete insight. Remember Jesus’ previous question to Peter and the other disciples: “Do you have eyes and do not see, ears and not hear…Do you still not understand?” (Mark 8:18, 21). Peter is like the blind man of Bethsaida; he sees but only partially: “I see people looking like trees and walking” (Mark 8:24). Peter sees that Jesus is the Messiah, powerful in word and deed. What Peter still cannot see or accept is that Jesus is to be a suffering Messiah. Peter, who has just confessed Jesus is the Messiah, now rebukes Jesus and Jesus in turn rebukes Peter:
“Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed…Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. Jesus rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” (Mark 8:31-33).
Peter and the other disciples do not yet see the full truth about Jesus. He teaches with power and authority, but his path is one of humility and service, suffering and death.
Jesus is patient with his disciples as they move from blindness to partial sight. He will continue to guide them to full insight into the ways of God so that they do not think as human beings do but as God does. This was a challenge for the first disciples, and it remains a challenge for all of us disciples today. Paul eloquently describes this challenge:
“For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” (1 Corinthians 1:22-25).
Image: “The Penitent Saint Peter by El Greco 1595-1600 CE Spain Oil on Canvas” by mharrsch is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.