The Gospel passage today portrays a scene that is very familiar to us. Jesus asks his disciples concerning the peoples' speculation regarding his identity. The disciples provide a list of some of the current or popular opinions, such as, he is John the Baptist restored from the dead or the prophets Elijah or Jeremiah who have reappeared from the past.

Then, Jesus continues the dialogue by asking the disciples their own assessment about his identity: "What about you?" he asks them, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter, appearing as the group's spokesman, immediately proclaims Jesus as the Messiah.

Just as Jesus asked his disciples regarding his identity more than 2,000 years ago, today the question "Who do you say that I am?" is posed to us too. Each of us must have an immediate answer to this question. And it is an answer we must give the Lord today. However, in doing so, let us be aware that we cannot fool God with superficial or even false answers. God knows us as we are.

After all, we are reminded by Paul in the second reading that God is in control over everything. We cannot control our own lives or our fate. Shebna, the manager of the royal household tried to do this by preparing a tomb for himself, and the prophet Isaiah warned Shebna that God will remove him from his office. God cannot be fooled!

So, who do you say Jesus is?