Although this week’s scripture asks the question, “Who do you say that I am?” The question is not only a question of identity but also one of location: where is power located. In the gospel we hear Peter’s confession of faith, when he answers that question saying to Jesus, “You are the Messiah.” Yet, Jesus’ explanation of what it means for him to be the Messiah is a stumbling block for Peter, and we are left to wonder whether he and the other disciples (including us) will be able to “take up their cross and follow” Jesus. As Jesus is anointed (the meaning of messiah) in Mark on the way to the cross (14:3), so we are anointed in baptism with the sign of the cross. As September 14 is Holy Cross Day in the church, we look at this preeminent symbol of our faith and what it means to follow someone who was crucified. Then and now, Jesus invites followers on the way of the cross—a path of daily learning, dying, and new life. For there, the power of God is located.
Image: Church of St. George, one of the Rock-Hewn Churches in Ethiopia