Who am I to you?
The prophet Haggai exhorts the Jews after their return from the exile to give everything, even their silver and gold, for the reconstruction of the Temple. Then, the living God will be present among them and he will give them peace.
Jesus asks each of us today not what others say about him, but who he is for us and what he means to us. The answer he is waiting for has not to consist in long declarations but the living response of our lives.
Reading: Haggai 2:1-9
On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Word of God came through the prophet Haggai: “Tell Governor Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and High Priest Joshua son of Jehozadak and all the people: ‘Is there anyone here who saw the Temple the way it used to be, all glorious? And what do you see now? Not much, right?
“‘So get to work, Zerubbabel!’—God is speaking.
“‘Get to work, Joshua son of Jehozadak—high priest!’
“‘Get to work, all you people!’—God is speaking.
“‘Yes, get to work! For I am with you.’ The God-of-the-Angel-Armies is speaking! ‘Put into action the word I covenanted with you when you left Egypt. I’m living and breathing among you right now. Don’t be timid. Don’t hold back.’
6-7 “This is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies said: ‘Before you know it, I will shake up sky and earth, ocean and fields. And I’ll shake down all the godless nations. They’ll bring bushels of wealth and I will fill this Temple with splendor.’ God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so.
‘I own the silver,
I own the gold.’
Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
“‘This Temple is going to end up far better than it started out, a glorious beginning but an even more glorious finish: a place in which I will hand out wholeness and holiness.’ Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.”
Gospel: Luke 9:18-22
One time when Jesus was off praying by himself, his disciples nearby, he asked them, “What are the crowds saying about me, about who I am?”
They said, “John the Baptizer. Others say Elijah. Still others say that one of the prophets from long ago has come back.”
He then asked, “And you—what are you saying about me? Who am I?”
Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.” Jesus then warned them to keep it quiet. They were to tell no one what Peter had said.
He went on, “It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the religious leaders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and on the third day be raised up alive.”
Prayer
God our Father,
your Son, Jesus asks of us today:
“Who am I for you?”
Forgive us our stammering words,
but this we can say with grateful love:
We thank you that you have shown us in him
how good you are and how much you love us.
We thank you that he appeared
in all the frailty of our own humanity,
and that by his death and resurrection
you have brought us forgiveness and life.
Let him be the meaning of our lives,
for he is Jesus, our Savior and our Lord for ever. Amen.
