Who Do You Say That I Am?

Our world is very noisy. We consume massive amounts of information on a daily basis from social media, from the news, from podcasts, and from the people around us. There are a lot of voices telling us what to think, what to believe, what to be, and who to be.

In this gospel passage from Luke 9:18-21, Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” Of course Jesus knows exactly who He is, but he takes this opportunity to allow the noise to surface so He can provide clarity.

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, the disciples were with him, he asked them,
”Who do the crowds say that I am?”

They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’”

Then he said to them,
But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said in reply,
”The Messiah of God.”

Jesus was not John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets arisen. He was not what the crowds said of Him. He was, indeed, the Messiah, but the noise of who He was not was drowning out the truth of who He truly was.

I think about this passage in relation to my own identity. When there is a lot of interior or exterior noise that is threatening to drown out the truth of my own identity, I find myself saying, “Jesus, who do YOU say that I am?” Not only that, but I try to allow the noise to surface, just as Jesus did, so He can help me break through the noise and get to the truth of who I am.

Sometimes it is painful to let the noise surface, because noise can be words of discouragement, misunderstandings, insecurities, unnecessary opinions, hurtful situations, lies, betrayals, or any number of things. But when I bring that painful pile of noise to Jesus and lay it at His feet, it is no longer cluttering my soul so I can begin to hear His voice.

One of my favorite movies is “The Help”. There is a scene in the movie where the main character, Skeeter, has a flashback of visiting with the maid who helped raise her. Skeeter has never felt like she belonged in the high society of Southern Mississippi living. Her hair isn’t just so. She is not the beauty queen her mother was. She is awkward, opinionated, nerdy, and all of the things she is not supposed to be by society’s standards. And she is picked on for it.

Her maid, Constantine, says to her, “Everyday, everyday you’re not dead in the ground and you wake up in the morning, you going to have to make some decisions. Got to ask yourself this question, ‘Am I going to believe all them bad things them fools say about me today? You hear me? Am I going to believe all them bad things them fools say about me today? Alright?’”

Everyday we can ask ourselves, “Who am I? And who did God make me to be?” And if the noise all around is chipping away at our authentic identity in Christ, then we have a decision to make, “Am I going to believe all them bad things them fools say about me today.”

OR

Am I going to step away from the noise, even if for a few minutes each day, and take time to learn more about my identity in the heart of Christ? Am I going to tell Jesus about the things that feel painful, that are hurting me, that are chipping away at my identity and making it harder for me to live unburdened so I can be free of the noise that is preventing me from truly living?

So be bold and ask God, “Who am I? And who did you make me to be?”

He will tell you…because He delights in you and He loves you.

He will show you…because you are wonderful and made in the image and likeness of God and He wants you to identify with that incredible truth.

And he will send people into your life who are human reminders of His love for you and who are willing to reflect back to you the beauty and goodness within you. Look for these human reminders.

Remember: other people do not get to decide who you are - God does.

Jesus, how can I set aside time each day to reflect on who You made me to be?

Jesus, what lies have I absorbed from interior or exterior noise that are making my soul feel heavy, burdened, or imprisoned?

Jesus, I need human reminders of Your love for me. Help me to identify the helpers in my life who are authentic reflections of your love.

Jesus, what are ways I can be a living reminder of your love for others?

Jesus, show me ways to be an authentic reflection of your love and beauty to others.

Jesus, please heal the wounds in my soul that have been inflicted upon me by the noise of lies and gossip.

Jesus, help me to remember that no matter how loud the noise is, other people do not get to decide who I am - You do!

Below you will find one of my favorite resources. It is the New Testament organized for daily reading. I have found it helpful to read a little scripture each day as “good noise” to begin to hear the truth of my own identity in Christ.

And if you haven’t see the movie The Help or read the book, both are great!

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