Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Luke (9: 18-22) in which Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah when Jesus asks, ‘Who do you say I am?.

Fr Paul says Peter’s profession of faith in Jesus as God’s anointed messenger occurs, of course, in each of the first three gospels (Luke, Matthew and Mark), but each Gospel writer relates it in his special way. Luke, for whom prayer is so important, stresses that Jesus is at prayer, as he was at so many special moments, such as the choice of the disciples, the Transfiguration, the moment when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.

In Mark, this is the turning-point of the gospel, a break-through for Peter after a long and frustrating period of the inability to understand who Jesus was. But only a partial break-through, for though he grasps that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah, he still cannot grasp the message that Jesus’ mission as Messiah involves suffering.

Matthew strengthens Peter’s confession to ‘the Messiah, the Son of God’ and then has Jesus congratulate Peter with the promise of the keys of the kingdom. He also intensifies both Peter’s protest at the idea of Jesus suffering, and Jesus’ correspondingly fierce rebuke of Peter.

The Lukan version gives neither praise nor blame to Peter, but hurries straight on to the message of suffering. Neither Jesus nor his followers can win through to the crown of Resurrection without first undergoing the Passion. Luke quietly generalises the message, for in Verse 23 Jesus speaks not just to his disciples but to ‘all’.

Today, we might just spend some time repeating Peter’s words to Jesus – you are the Christ of God.