Today’s Gospel finds Jesus in the midst of his public ministry. After word spreads about him healing and casting out demons, there is nowhere he can go without a crowd. When he goes home, the crowd follows. His relatives have had enough! It is hard for them to see greatness in the one they have watched grow up: “Who does he think he is?!”
But that wasn’t all. People weren’t just claiming that he was a miracle worker. Some were claiming that he was the Messiah. It wasn’t just crazy to claim to be the Messiah; it was blasphemous! The penalty for blaspheming was death.
Could he be the Messiah?
While today’s reading is just two verses of the Gospel, the weight of the verses is great. People are starting to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and their reactions are either fear or joy. I often wonder what my response would have been if I were alive in that moment of history. Would I be fearfully criticizing and warning people off, or would I be joyfully leaving everything to follow?
Who do you say that I am?
That question can never be answered. All we have is today. What is my response today? Will I let myself stay in fear and doubt? Or will I joyfully follow him?
