Who am I for you? Chapter 8:27-30).

GOSPEL OF MARK SERIES

The Bible: Gospel of Mark Series.

 

During the remainder of 2018, each week, I will write a weekly post about the Gospel of Mark, as I review and explore each of the 16 chapters and how it may be applied in our daily lives. My goal is to understand and pray the Gospel of Mark. I hope you will join me on this journey as we travel through the liturgical season.
In today's post, we explore chapter 8: 27-30 which is called Who am I for you?

Who am I for you? Chapter 8:27-30).

These few verses usher in the first climax in Mark's Gospel, which was said the beginning to be about Jesus as Christ and Son of God.  Her He is name the Christ or Messiah. Only after His death will He be publicly named Son of God. (15:39).

Jesus is still outside Israel, travelling among the villages to the north near Caesarea Phillipi where the Jordan river rises from the mountains.  The 'way' used by Mark here and several times in the next part of his Gospel, can mean not only to the physical roadway, but may also symbolise 'the way'.  Jesus is teaching His disciples to walk as true disciples, the theme of the next part of his Gospel (8:1-10:52).

Jesus first asks what outsiders, people who are not disciples, say about him.  Various answers are given which identify him with great figures from Israel's past, for like the blind man they do not see clearly yet.  Then Jesus asks his disciples, ''But who do you say that I am?".

Earlier, Jesus silenced the demons who named Him (1:34, 3:12) and also the people whom He cured (7:36, 8:26).  His disciples asked among themselves in astonishment and in terror, who is this man (4:25)?  Now Jesus himself asks his disciples to name Him, as He asked each of us, not from any book knowledge but from an experience of being touched by Him in one's own life.

Peter, like the blind man when he sees clearly, names Him the Messiah, which means Christ, the one anointed by God for the divine task of revealing His power to Israel.  Peter is thinking of the popular expectation of a worldly and political Messiah.  At the same time, it may be Peter's best word to identify the most wonderful person he has ever met.

This episode serves as a bridge passage which concludes the first half of Mark's Gospel and begins the second.

In our journal and/or our discussion group we may wish to reflect on this passage as follows:

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

•  Name the key points that you have learnt about the person of Jesus in this              passage of scripture.
•   Imagine that you are one of the disciples What do you see and hear and feel?          . What can I learn from this? 
•  How does the question of Jesus in this passage resonate with you?  What would you say?
•  Why did Jesus ask the disciples not to tell others of His identity?  
•  How would we respond to Jesus regarding our blindness and sight in relation   to His identity?  
• Reflect on my relationship with Jesus and this teaching in the light of this gospel         passage.  
•  What impact does Jesus’ teaching have on you (8:27-30)? 
•  How has this passage spoken to you- what does it say to you personally?  ·  
• If you were to meet a fellow parishioner who was interested in reading gospel of Mark, what would you say to him/her about this passage? 
•  If a fellow parishioner had read this passage, what might he/she say about this            passage?