Friday of 25th Week, Year II: reflection

Theme: “But who do you say I am?” (Lk 9:20): The importance of knowing Jesus personally

Reading: Lk 9:18–22

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus asked His disciples who the people say He was. They answered. Then, He asked them who they themselves say He was. Peter gave an answer that was correct, but his answer was completely different from who the public opinion said Jesus was. So, if the apostles had not been so close to Jesus and had intimate experience of Him, their understanding of who He was would have been based on the wrong opinions of other people.

Dear friends, it is important to listen to what people tell us about who Jesus is and what He can do for us; their perception of who He is might be 100% right. However, as we have seen in several cases, some preachers’ ideas of who Jesus is and what He wants to do for us fall short of what Jesus revealed about Himself and His mission. Their wrong teachings about who Jesus is and what He will do for those who believe in Him have contributed in forming Christians with wrong and weak faith in Jesus, as well as Christians with false expectations of Jesus.

For instance, some of them tell their followers that once they believe in Jesus, He will make them kings/queens in their communities, bless them with mansions and exotic cars, grant them immediate promotions at work or business success, make them pass their exams, make them immune to sicknesses and physical attacks (give them odighi eshi), and grant them every material thing they can think of. Some others tell their followers that to connect with Jesus or obtain favours from Him, they must make financial donations to the church, bury crosses or other religious materials in their homes, jump up and shout alleluia 100 times, and other kinds of sensational gyration. People with this kind of knowledge about Jesus keep going from one ministry to the next, hoping to discover the Jesus who will accomplish all of these things for them.

Dear friends, a good knowledge of who Jesus is and of what He can do for us according to His mission would save us from being deceived or misled. Such knowledge helped Peter and the other disciples to maintain their faith throughout their missionary journeys, even during tough times and persecutions.

Personal knowledge of who Jesus is can come from improved life of prayer, daily meditative reading of the scriptures, silent moments with Jesus at home, in the chapel or during adorations, faithful participation at Mass, etc.

Therefore, I advise those who run from one ministry to another in search of Jesus to kneel down and ask Jesus this very important question that St Paul asked Him: “Who are you, Lord?” (Acts 9: 5). He will open your eyes to know Him better, especially to know that He became your Saviour by dying on the cross and resurrecting from the dead, and has charged you to carry your own cross and follow Him.

May blessing and graces of God be you this Friday, Amen.

Fr Isaac C. Chima