Brothers and Sisters,
How important is it for people to know you? Do you believe people really know who you are? Do you ever ask what kind of person other people think you are? When you answer the question “Who are you?” it will reveal a lot about how you see yourself, your purpose, your relationship with God, and how you see others. We will answer this question either by what the world tells us, or by what God tells us.
But the first question we must answer is “Who is Jesus?” This is the question that Jesus confronts the disciples with and confronts us with (Mk 8:27-35). The way you answer this question reveals a lot about you and determines your eternity, your identity, and your purpose in life. How you answer this question reveals how you make decisions, what is important to you, how you invest your time and money, and why you do or don’t do certain things. Your answer determines who or what authority you submit to. You truly cannot discover who you are until you discover who Jesus is to you. Who is Jesus to you when you are the only believer at work? Who is Jesus to you when you feel like you are one of the few Christians at school? Who is Jesus to you when you are married to an unbeliever? Who is Jesus to you when your family does not follow Jesus? Who is Jesus to you when you live in a city or country that does not honor Jesus? Who is Jesus to you in your everyday life?
If you answer, “You are the Christ” as Peter did, we must believe and follow Jesus in a world where most of the people do not hold your beliefs. But these are also the same people who you must love and share the gospel with. Yes, this will reveal a lot about who you are.
God Bless,
Deacon Howard
