In today’s Gospel Reading, Jesus first asks his disciples what others are saying about him and then he asks them for their own opinion. The various answers to this question tell us there must have been some debate about the meaning of Jesus’ ministry.

Some people believed Jesus was John the Baptist. Although King Herod killed John, many people who saw the signs and miracles Jesus performed wondered if he might really be John resurrected. Other people thought Jesus was Jeremiah or Elijah.

Jeremiah was a great Old Testament prophet who took the Ark of the Covenant (the box in the Temple containing the Ten Commandments) and hid it in a cave on Mt. Nebo just before the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem in 586 B.C. (2 Maccabees 2:4-8). Since no one ever found the Ark of the Covenant, some Jews believed Elijah would one day return to the world to prepare the way for the Messiah. When Elijah appears, the messiah will not be far behind.

The people showed great respect for Jesus when they compared him to these great men but they did not recognize him as the long-awaited messiah. Only Simon Peter understood that Jesus was even more important than the greatest of the Old Testament figures and his belief in Jesus as the messiah earned him a place of honor in the early church. Simon Peter’s faith is the sturdy rock on which the church is built.

For Reflection: Close your eyes and imagine Jesus is asking you who you think he is. What is your answer? Be honest!