Who do you say that I am?

While reading this week's devo, this question kept popping out at me. In the account in Mattew 16, he starts a discussion about all the names and titles that the people give Jesus. I found this really interesting, because his focus was not on how wrong everybody is, but on where their hearts were. When Peter answered "you are the messiah," Jesus re-affirmed his identity as "peter on whom I will build my church." He later goes on to criticize him for being led by satan, and that "you do not have the concerns of God but merely human concerns."  Jesus is after our hearts. Not what they are saying about him, not about how wrong they might be, but he cares about where their heart is-in that very moment.  This reminds me of the story of the thief on the cross. Jesus says "today you will be with me in paradise" to a man who lived his life as a criminal. Why? because in that moment, His grace was larger than that man's sin, and Jesus saw an opportunity to save a lost soul. 

 I feel that the Spirit has been roasting me with the question of "who do you say that I am?" every day. While reading the word, studying for tests, grabbing lunch with friends, even driving in my car, am I aware and filled with Christ? am I living in the truth of "It  finished?" right here, right now?

On a side note, I am typing this at starbucks, and the song "losing my religion" has come on the radio twice.  Its quite ironic, but at the same time, it is an example of Jesus asking every one of us "who do you say that I am?" Is Jesus limited to a religion and a book of rules? or is he the Son of Man, bread of life for us all? (sorry, I may have read ahead to next weeks blog...)