Luke 9: 18-22
Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They answered, “John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.”
He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Who Is Jesus to You?
As a market researcher, I have spent my entire career looking at what the "crowds" think. We track consumer sentiment, evaluate public opinion, and build strategy around audience data metrics. It is easy to let aggregate data define reality.
We see this exact dynamic play out in Luke 9. When Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” they report the public sentiment of the day: some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others think an ancient prophet has arisen. The crowds were looking at the surface, trying to fit Jesus into a predictable, historical box.
But then Jesus completely disrupts the research logic. He narrows his focus, cuts through the noise of public opinion, and asks a direct, singular question: “But who do you say that I am?”
Jesus didn't care about social perception. He didn't want a report on what others believed. He demanded an immediate, personal statement of accountability and relationship.
On a busy Friday morning, surrounded by professional metrics, overflowing email inboxes, and the constant noise of the world, Jesus poses that same question to each of us. He doesn't want to know what our culture, our colleagues, or our social or political circles say about him. He looks us directly in the eye and asks, "Who do you say that I am?" Our answer to that question changes everything about how we step out into the world today.
—Danny Monistere is a member of the Board of Trustees for Montserrat Jesuit Retreat House in Lake Dallas, TX. He is a member of Sacred Heart of Jesus Chinese Parish in Plano, TX.
Prayer
O God, You see me exactly as I am, stripped of titles, status, and the praise of others. Free me from the desire to please the crowds or fit into the boxes the world builds for me. Grant me the grace of radical honesty in Your presence today, that I may stand firmly in the truth of our relationship and follow You wherever You lead.
Amen.
—Prayer of Abandonment