In the “heart” of the Gospel of Mark, the theme of the identity of Jesus: Christ, the Son of God appears anew. He has a rich and mysterious identity, that, from the beginning to the end, the evangelist wants to reveal gradually to all of us.

The text of today, in chapter 8, contains the radiant answer from Peter that stresses the current opinions between persons. The great religious figures of the past are superseded, Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Christ. In his simplicity and brevity, Mark condenses the revelation of the Master in the words of Peter: “You are the Messiah.”

For Mark, Jesus enters in a new stage, allowing the multitude from Galilee to dedicate more time to the formation of His disciples and begins with the revelation of His double identity of Messiah and of Suffering Servant. Two realities unreachable through the human mind by itself.

Peter with difficulty, seeks to reap the truth of Jesus Messiah-Christ, but stumbles completely in the reality of the Messiah-Servant that “must suffer much…to die and resurrect.” The disciple arms himself, inclusively in “master” of Jesus, reprimanding Him for that type of discourse, he strongly censors him, inviting him to take the place behind Jesus: as the disciple walks behind the Master, following His footsteps.

Over the theme of the suffering of the cross, Peter is prisoner of the current mentality, thinking “according to men”; so much later, when the Spirit comes, he arrives to think “according to God.”

“You do not comprehend according to God, but according to men”: it is the severe warning of Jesus to Peter and to the disciples of that time and of all time. A warning that petrifies whatever form of accomodated and rhetorical religiosity that it may encounter. An disconcerting invitation that travels the narrow road of humility and of austerity: leaving behind thinking only of oneself, for becoming responsible for others, sharing the option that Jesus accepted—through love—death itself, in order that all “may have life in abundance” (John 10:10)

We are called to the discipleship of and to mission. But this only will be possible if, as Peter, we recognize and comprehend the true identity of Jesus. He proposes to us the “things of God”, the communication of life without limits. We cannot stick to the “things of men” to the example of Peter, to the preservation of the power and the peace of the established injustice.

Jesus is calling us and presents to us the proposal of following Him. The life of each one, upon being given in communion with other lives in concrete action will bring us to salvation, that is, inserting ourselves and remaining in the presence of God for eternity.

Lord Jesus, reveal to me always more and more the face of the Messiah—Servant, in order that I may not error in follow you.

Padre Bantu Mendonça

Fr. Bantu Mendonça Katchipwi Sayla is a priest for the Diocese of Tubarão, Angola

translated from Portuguese