I know myself - somehow ..... - esp. after 77 years of life-experience.
I can tell you some of my skills, strengths, successes, some of my weaknesses, failures...
Jesus also cares about his IMAGE - Lk 9.18-24
Until today it's a good idea to ask people around us,friends and coworkers
"Who do the people say I am" ??? Sure I will learn a lot about me!
They will tell me today what IMAGE I have over-there; of what I'm well known....
but they will not tell me which person, which spirit I'm embody.
(Such a thinking is now rare...)
But exactly this is the very question of Jesus: Which personality (person, spirit, culture)
I represent for you? Jesus is interested to know: "do the people know my secret? "
I give shape, effectiveness, word, presence to whom?
It seems Peter (in the name of the early Church) has well understood the question.
The Apostle Petrus (until today Pope Francis) is convinced "Jesus is the Christ of God".
This proclamation is not easy to understand - we try...
"Christ" means: the anointed of God (by God).
Today we have a lot of "oil" to make the face, the body more beautiful, healthier etc...
we use ointment very often but not in biblical sens.
At confirmation or at ordination ointment is understood as fortify...
But this is not enough. Anointment as a Christian, as a Priest means "embody".
The anointed of God = God is incarnated.
As Christians we believe the Spirit of God is incarnated in Jesus, in the baptised people,
in the Church (and some say: also in Nature and in the Universe).
As the Lord speaks (cf. Zech 12.10-11 "Over the Citizens of Jerusalem I will pour out the spirit of kindness" - we hope these Citizens will accept this spirit and embody the spirit of kindness - what means: to show a kind spirit and a kind behaviour.
After we got the Gospel of today
we are asked a) Do you know Jesus; what answer you may give to the question?
b) Do you know what people say about Jesus?
c) Did you know to be a Christian means
"to embody the Spirit of God in our daily life" ???
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen