He asked them, “Who do people say I am?” (Mark 8:27)
Everyone has a different perception of who I am. To my family, I am a daughter and sister. To my workplace, I am an employee. To my friends, I am, well, a friend. But each of the people in my family, my coworkers, and my friends all have different perspectives on who I am and describe me differently because of our different relationships and context.
Jesus spoke with his closest friends, confidants and ministry partners—the disciples—and asked them, “Who do people say I am?” They explained the different perceptions people had of Jesus, none of which were exactly right. In fact, many of them were actually way off.
How often do we look at what other people say about us and start to believe what they say—things both good and bad? I know that I have fallen into that trap many times before. I have been told things like “You are so strong. You are so responsible. You are such a good worker.” All those things, while good, can lead to trouble, because we can begin to find our worth in what others say about us, instead of who we actually are.
There is more to the story with Jesus. He had another question for the disciples, one that we all could stand to consider. Check it out tomorrow.
Consider this: Who do people say you are?
Augustine Gidney is a Wesleyan pastor’s kid and recent graduate from Kingswood University, where she majored in counseling and children’s ministry.
© 2020 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
