Who do you say that I am?

How country are you?

How evil are you?

What Greek god are you?

What city should you live in?

What decade should you have lived in?

If you ruled the world, what would it look like?

Who were you in your past life?

These are just a few titles of some of the most popular quizzes you can take right now on Facebook. Not that I'm recommending them. For the record I don't believe in past lives or Greek gods. I'm not really sure I want to know how evil I am- much less how evil anyone else is. And, I'm quite thankful I don't rule the world. Entirely too much responsibility for any human to handle! I'm pretty sure the majority of people who take these quizzes don't do it to really figure out how evil they are and they don't want to be a Greek god. People take these quizzes for one reason and one reason only. To let other people know who they are. These quizzes are designed to feed our need to concisely explain ourselves to others and perhaps even figure it out for ourselves. People take these for the same reason they take "personality tests" and sometimes even "spiritual gifts inventories." We are all still trying to figure out who we are- and we are also trying to figure out how other people perceive us.

In our scripture today we read about Jesus trying to get across to his disciples who He really is. Unlike us, Jesus had no unanswered questions about who He was. He did want to be sure that His disciples "got it." They certainly were an interesting bunch weren't they? I loved the small glimpses of their own humanity and how Jesus related to them. I see so much of myself in them and their reactions. So much of the time, Jesus could be speaking to me as well. I'm thinking He is! So, who is Jesus telling us that He is?

Healer.

The disciples had just witnessed Jesus perform a miracle; feeding 4000 men plus women and children with just seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. There was even seven large baskets of leftovers! Shortly after this, they worrying about the fact that they forgot to bring bread on the boat! Jesus' admonishion about being on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod may have sparked the conversation. I can just hear it now..."Why is he talking about yeast? We're on a boat...hey, where IS the bread?" "Did you get the bread?" "No, I didn't I thought you were!" "What are we going to do? We don't have any bread!" There may have even been a few accusations thrown around just for good measure or perhaps some argument over how the one loaf they did have would be divided.

Jesus obviously overheard. He always does. His frustration comes across in his rebuke to them. Obviously frustrated that they didn't understand his references to yeast were more spiritual than literal, He also references the miracles of healing He had performed countless times in front of them. The blind could see, the deaf could hear, the lame could walk. Jesus accuses his disciples of being worse off. Able to see, but not really seeing and able to hear but not really hearing. He then reminds them of the miracle he had just performed with the small loaves they had...reminding them how much they had leftover even after feeding all those people.

Jesus doesn't just heal or minister to our physical infirmities. He's after something much more important to Him. Our hearts. The disciples, though physically fine, needed a healing of the heart. They needed to trust that Jesus would take care of them, and that their needs would be provided for. We all have a hunger beyond just for bread for our stomachs. We need bread to quiet the hunger of our souls. Jesus provides that- with abundant basketfuls left over.

How many times has God come through for me and provided beyond all I could ask or imagine? And then, when I'm on a boat somewhere and forgot the bread...I still start to panic! Slowly but surely I'm learning that as long as Jesus is with me in that boat, none of my human shortcomings can hinder His ability to provide or come through for me. In fact, often times my human shortcomings are a perfect opportunity for Him to show off just how powerful and able He is!

Messiah.

The actual word Peter uses here in Greek is Christos which is the translation of the Hebrew Masiah which literally means "anointed one." Jesus first asked the disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" After listing off a few unsatisfactory responses, Jesus then asks them pointedly- "But you, who do you say that I am?" Jesus was asking them to state their own belief.

They had it right- mostly. Jesus was the "anointed one"- the deliverer for the Jews God had promised through the prophets for centuries before. While the disciples and the rest of the Israelites were expecting a conquering military leader and earthly king to restore Israel to the glory of the time of King David- Jesus was working for a much different, more lasting, agenda. He told them He would be rejected, suffer many things and die- and they actually rebuked Him! Jesus addressed their hearts (again) when He told them they were working for their own personal agendas instead of God's.

His rebuke extends past the disciples down through time to us. In the next verses he tells not just his disciples but the crowd following him that we all are going to have to lay down our own personal agendas for God's. After all, He asks, what good is it for us to gain everything we want in this world- but still die?

If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it,

but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it.

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose his life?

What can a man give in exchange for his life?

Mark 8:34-37 HCSB

Indeed, what do we have to give anyone that is as valuable as our life? Without our life, anything here on earth is of absolutely no value anymore. And what do we have that could cover the cost of redeeming our life? Nothing. That's why Jesus would give up His. To pay for what we never could. Denying ourselves for His sake is pittance compared to what we gain in return!

Lord.

He is Lord. Peter, James and John were lucky enough to witness Jesus in all His glory while they were still walking around in flesh and blood. He displayed His authority to all the disciples driving out a demon they were unable to drive out. After all this, what were the disciples arguing about as they walked along the road? Who was the greatest among them. Isn't is just like us? After witnessing something spectacular and then failing spectacularly- we need some way to build ourselves up. What better way than to start comparing ourselves to the others around us- boasting and puffing up our own egos while we judge and put others down?

Jesus shows them and us a better way. "If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." He then goes on to gather a child into His arms and state, "Whoever welcomes one little child such as this in my name welcomes Me." In this instance- Jesus' reference to a child represented someone with no status and no rights. He is cautioning us, don't be concerned with how the world views your value- because they didn't view Christ himself as important. God views everyone as important and of value. Submitting to Him as Lord means valuing what He values- and putting ourselves last as Christ himself, the Lord of all, did.

Is He your healer? Is He your Messiah, bringing you peace and liberty from all oppression? Is He Lord of your life? Who do you say that He is, not just with your mouth but with your life? At the end of our reading today, Jesus warns us- be careful of the things that can cause your spiritual downfall. No matter how valuable you think they may be now- if they cost you for eternity they aren't worth it. Don't lose your "saltiness" - or your effective witness for Him.

Who do you say that He is? We all have to answer that question, and ignoring it answers it one way. Everything Jesus is demands a response from us. What will yours be?

Banaias waterfall, near Caesarea Phillipi.

This is in the vicinity where Jesus asked his disciples,

"Who do you say that I am?"

via Google Earth

I like to picture myself here talking with Jesus. How about you?