Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" They said in reply, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen." Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter said in reply, "The Messiah of God." He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised."
The Word in other words
We all love a messiah, specially a glorious one. Our favorite stories and movies are about persons with extraordinary powers fighting and defeating the evil elements that oppress people or threaten our world. We then feel good in the end.
We all love the messiah of Peter and the apostles, the very same messiah of the Jews and Pharisees, a powerful and conquering messiah who will liberate his people from the nations that oppress them. Even our prayers often betray our understanding of messiah. We often pray for a messiah who would come and destroy all our enemies and solve all our problems.
Yet for Jesus, he is Son of Man, the Ebed Yahweh. Yes he will save his people not by the power and might but by offering his life for them. He will overcome the powers of this world through his mercy and love.
Jesus is the Messiah who showcased us the true face of God. A God who loves us to the end, to God's end.
-Fr. Herman Suico, SVD (Zamboanga City, Sibugay)
