Jesus' focus is on mission not identity

September 17, 2006 -- 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Fr. Michael Stubbs

	Fr. Mike Stubbs

Politicians are sometimes criticized for relying too much upon opinion polls. Some accuse the politicians of using the polls to shape their positions to reflect the changing mood of the population. In other words, they are supposedly using the polls simply so that they can parrot back to the voters what the voters want to hear. At least, that is the modern caricature of the politician.

At first glance, it might appear as though Jesus is doing something along those lines in Sunday's gospel reading, Mark 8:27-35. "Along the way he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say that I am?' They said in reply, 'John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.'"

An astute politician, at least according to the modern caricature, would have built his public image upon these findings. He would have further refined that image according to the advice of his closest associates. In line with that approach, that would explain Jesus' repeating the question to his disciples. But Jesus does nothing of the kind.

When their spokesman Peter tells Jesus, "You are the Christ," Jesus warns them not to tell anyone about him. Although Jesus doesn't reject the title "Christ," he also does not claim it publicly. He does not include it in his public image. Instead, Jesus begins to teach about the necessity of suffering, both for himself and for those who will follow him. "He spoke this openly." The openness of his preaching about the cross contrasts strongly with his secretiveness about his identity as the Christ. Jesus' caution in this instance about secrecy concerning his identity as the Christ, fits in with the many times when Jesus urges secrecy about the miracles he has worked. (Mark 1:34, 44, 3:12, 5:43, 7:36).

Jesus shifts away from the question of his identity to the question of his mission. His focus upon the cross suggests that while the earlier poll addressed an important issue, it ignored the most important of all. It was not asking the crucial questions; what was Jesus going to do? What mission was God entrusting to Jesus and to his disciples?

Jesus asks the question about his identity, not in order to manipulate the people's opinion, as an unscrupulous politician might do. Rather, he wishes to gain deeper insight into his audience. He wishes to convey a message that will be very difficult for them to accept, the message of the cross. Jesus has not presented a message chosen in order to appease the perceived desires of the crowd, as our cynical politician might do. Far from it. Instead, Jesus has chosen the most difficult message of all. "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me."

Like any good communicator, Jesus resorts to audience analysis to prepare the way for his message. He listens to them first, before he speaks. That is still an excellent tactic for a preacher to follow, to know the crowd well before speaking to them.

(Fr. Stubbs, a priest of the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas, has a master's degree in theology from Harvard.)