Nicole Starr
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He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.”
In the middle of praying, Jesus abruptly stops, turns to his disciples, and asks, ‘Who do you say that I am?’ Now, Jesus isn’t looking for a dogmatic answer although we sometimes interpret Peter as giving just that. Instead, he is asking a question that lies at the very heart of Christian discipleship: ‘Who am I to you?’
And how you answer this question impacts how you live out your life of faith. For if you believe Jesus is the Suffering Servant wounded and killed for our transgressions, then Jesus for you is pure love and you cannot help but love others the way that Jesus loves you. And if you believe that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, then Jesus for you is the one who never stops searching for his lost sheep (going even to Sheol to find them) and you too cannot help but proclaim the Gospel in word and in deed even in the most unlikely of places. And if you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of David, then Jesus for you is king and his kingdom embodies radical inclusivity. Compelled, you find yourself reaching out to those on the margins standing in solidarity with them.
With those examples in mind, if Jesus turned to you and asked you that same question, how would you respond? One way to answer is to reflect on how you speak to God. What images of God appear in your mind or impress on your heart when you pray? Are there some positive images that you struggle to experience or express in prayer? If you sense there are, pray for the grace you need to allow the Holy Spirit to continue to transform you.
Nicole Starr is a Candidate for Holy Orders in the Episcopal Church and was previously a seminary intern at Trinity Cathedral.
Find all Lenten Devotionals from Trinity Cathedral here.
