WHO IS JESUS TO YOU?

Homily for the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch

Isaiah 22:19-23; Romans 11:33-36; and Matthew 16:13-20

There is a difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing the person. We may know someone’s name, hear stories about them, read about them, and even know what others think about them without ever having a personal relationship with them.

This is the situation Jesus brings before His disciples in today’s Gospel. He begins by asking, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” The disciples give Him several answers: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. They know what people are saying about Jesus. But then Jesus changes the question and asks “But who do you say that I am?” Now the question is no longer about public opinion. It is personal. Jesus wants to know what they believe.

Peter responds and says “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This is the heart of Christian faith. Peter does not merely identify Jesus as a great teacher or prophet. He recognizes Him as the Christ, the Messiah promised to Israel, and the Son of the living God. Peter has moved from knowing what people say about Jesus to confessing who Jesus truly is.

And Jesus tells him that this knowledge is not simply the result of human reasoning: “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” Faith is ultimately a gift of divine revelation. We can study the historical Jesus, read the Scriptures, listen to sermons and learn theology, but ultimately, we need God to open our hearts to recognize His Son.

But there is something else remarkable in this Gospel. Immediately after Peter identifies Jesus, Jesus gives Peter a new identity and mission: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church.” Peter’s confession leads to his mission. This is important because what we believe about Jesus determines how we live for Jesus. 

If Jesus is only a teacher, we can admire Him. If He is only a prophet, we can listen to Him. If He is merely a moral example, we can imitate some of His virtues. But if Jesus is truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, then He is Lord. And if He is Lord, He cannot simply be one part of our lives. He must become the center of our lives.

This is why the question of today’s Gospel is not simply, “Who is Jesus?” The deeper question is “Who is Jesus to you?” Is He merely the person whose name you received at Baptism? Is He someone you remember on Sundays? Is He the one you turn to only when you have a problem? Or is He truly your Lord, your Saviour, your hope and the center around which your life is organized? The answer matters. If Jesus is Lord, then He must enter our decisions, our relationships, our marriages, our friendships, our careers, our finances, our ambitions and our private lives. We cannot confess Him with our lips and then organize our lives as though He does not exist.

The first reading gives us the image of the key of the House of David. Authority is entrusted to Eliakim as the king’s steward. Jesus uses similar imagery when He gives Peter the keys of the Kingdom. The Church therefore exists not as a human institution built around Peter, but as Christ’s Church, entrusted with a mission to preserve and proclaim His truth.

Today, then, Jesus puts the question before every one of us: “But who do you say that I am?” Take away the answers of society. Take away the opinions of others. Take away even the words you have learned in catechism. Who is Jesus to you? And once you have answered with Peter, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” allow that confession to become the foundation of your life. Real test of faith is not merely whether we can say who Jesus is. It is whether the way we live shows that we truly believe it.