THURSDAY, EIGHTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Nm 20:1-13 Ps 95:1-2,6-9 Mt 16:13-23
WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?
The gospel begins with Jesus leading his disciples to Caesarea Philippi. This was a place of historical and geographical significance. The mighty River Jordan, on which the whole land of Israel depended for their very livelihood, had its source originating from this place. It was also a place particularly notable for pagan worship. There were no less than 14 temples at this site –dedicated to Baal, the goat-man god Pan (believed to have been born there), and even one magnificent temple dedicated by Herod to Caesar Augustus. Jesus deliberately chose this location of competing spiritual claims to contrast all these deities with Himself and His divine mission.
Within this context, Jesus’ two questions become intensely personal and revealing: “What do people say?” and more importantly, “What do you say?” Pausing here, let us turn to the first reading. The Jews, despite having witnessed God’s mighty saving acts and miraculous interventions, complain bitterly to Moses for water, even expressing a yearning to return to their former slavery in Egypt. Their constant grumbling and lack of faith turned what should have been an 11-day journey from Sinai to Kadesh-Barnea into a 38-year, 10-month wandering, causing that entire generation (except for Joshua and Caleb) to perish in the desert without ever reaching the Promised Land.
We might be tempted to exclaim “How foolish!” However, we should be very careful here and consider what Jesus is asking each of us: “Who do you say I am?” What is our answer? Do we too, like the Jews of old, constantly grumble about our problems and difficulties? Are we so full of ourselves that we can’t see beyond our limited horizon and narrow way of thinking? Our answer reveals where we stand in our spiritual journey: whether we remain enslaved in the “Egypt” of sin, or truly following Christ with trusting hearts.
Response: O that today you would listen to his voice! Harden not your hearts.
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