Luke 9:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

'And when He was alone and praying, His disciples were with Him; and He asked them, saying, For whom do the people say of Me that I am?' Thus, we ought to first explore what led our Lord Jesus Christ to pose this question to the holy apostles, for His words and actions occur at the right time and with just cause; indeed, He accomplishes everything with wisdom and in its appointed season. What can we say, or what fitting interpretation can we offer regarding His actions in this moment? He provided nourishment for a vast crowd in the wilderness, feeding five thousand men; and how did He accomplish this? With five loaves of bread and two small fish, which He broke, resulting in a miraculous multiplication that filled twelve baskets. The blessed disciples were as astonished as the multitude, recognizing through these events that He is the true God and the Son of God. Later, after withdrawing from the crowd and being alone, He entered into prayer, and in doing so, He not only set an example for us but also instructed the disciples in how to carry out their roles as leaders effectively. It is my belief that those entrusted with shepherding the people of Christ must continually be engaged in their vital responsibilities and demonstrate openly the holy and virtuous conduct that delights God and benefits those in their care. They should either be actively involved in duties that glorify God or engaged in practices that, in their solitude, bring them blessings and invoke divine power: chief among these is prayer. Understanding this, the divine Paul encouraged, 'Pray unceasingly.' Thus, as I have mentioned, the Lord and Savior of all exemplified holy communion with His disciples by praying alone, while they prayed only in His presence. However, this could have perplexed the disciples and stirred troubling thoughts within them. They had witnessed Him praying in a human manner, while just the previous day, they had seen Him performing miracles with divine authority. Thus, it was reasonable for them to ponder among themselves, 'What do we make of this? Is He God or is He man? If we assert that He is man, one of us and among the holy prophets, then the astonishing miracles He performs show Him to surpass human nature, for He works signs as God. Conversely, if we claim He is God, how can it be appropriate for Him, who is God by nature, to pray? From whom can God request what He desires to receive? What could possibly be lacking for God?' To dispel these confounding thoughts and to calm their wavering faith, He poses this question—not out of ignorance regarding what was commonly said about Him, whether by those outside the Jewish synagogue or by the Israelites themselves. Rather, His intention was to elevate their way of thinking and instill in them the true faith: 'For whom,' He inquires, 'do the people say that I am?'

It is crucial to grasp the implications here: the crowd considered Him to be Elijah, Jeremiah, or John the Baptist. Elijah was possibly mentioned due to his being taken into heaven (see 2 Kings 2:11), yet Christ is not Elijah. While Elijah was ascended into glory, Christ returned to the skies, for He did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped (Phil. 2:6). Elijah, having called down fire from heaven in vengeance (see 1 Kings 18:38; 2 Kings 1:9-12), contrasted sharply with Christ, who chose to offer healing to His oppressors instead of their destruction.

Why then did the people equate Him with Jeremiah? Possibly due to Jeremiah's consecration even in the womb (see Jer. 1:5). Yet, He is not Jeremiah! This prophet was set apart, while Christ is the source of sanctification; Jeremiah’s sanctity is earthly, whereas Christ embodies the Holy of Holies. And why did the crowd think of Him as John? Likely because John experienced the presence of the Lord while still in his mother's womb. Nevertheless, this is not John we speak of here! John worshipped the Lord in utero, but Christ is the One who accepts worship; John performed baptisms with water, whereas Christ baptizes with the Holy Spirit; John called for repentance (see Lk. 1:41-42; 3:16; Matt. 3:11; Mk. 1:4), yet it is Christ who grants forgiveness of sins.

Similar perspectives can be observed within Russian society, where these three types of individuals both exist and proliferate. Yet, we are grateful to God for the immeasurable majority of genuine believers who steadfastly affirm the apostolic confession that our Lord Jesus Christ is the incarnate only begotten Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of humanity foretold to our ancestors in paradise. Only God knows which viewpoint will ultimately triumph. Let us pray for the preservation of Christ's light within us and the expulsion of the darkness of falsehoods. We have a penchant for wrongdoing; thus, it is no surprise that falsehoods flourish. They now traverse the city openly, whereas once they were hidden in fear from the eyes of the faithful.

Beginning with John’s brief message: “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” He expanded it into a profound teaching meant for all nations. He clarified what was required for those wishing to enter and be part of this Kingdom, elucidated the relationship between the law of this Kingdom and Jewish law, exposed the hypocrisy of the previously revered leaders of the Jewish people, and defined how John’s ministry related to His own. He illustrated the emergence of this Kingdom on earth, its purpose, its struggles against adversaries, and its ultimate triumph. He condemned disbelief, urged faith in the Son of Man along with His divine authority, and subtly alluded to His sacrificial death that would bring salvation to the entire world.

To strengthen faith, He performed miracles: healing all manners of physical ailments, casting out demons, resurrecting a boy and a girl, calming the tempest and the winds, walking on water, and miraculously feeding thousands with a small amount of bread. He drew close to twelve followers, training and preparing them for the significant mission that awaited after Him. He called them apostles, disclosed the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven to them, corrected their misunderstandings, empowered them to perform miracles, and provided them with firsthand experience of His forthcoming service. The people of Galilee and Judea were deeply moved, gathering to hear His teachings, bringing their sick for healing, and trailing Him on His travels. He was regarded as a great prophet, and those afflicted by evil spirits and many of the suffering proclaimed Him the Son of God, the Messiah. On one occasion, several thousand near the Sea of Galilee expressed a desire to make Him their king. Meanwhile, the scribes and Pharisees, particularly from Jerusalem, attempted to discredit Him before the populace, scrutinizing His life, His miracles, and His disciples; they tempted Him with questions and sought signs, even conspiring with the Herodians against Him.

Conversely, while the disciples were still grappling with a full understanding of His actions and words, hampered by prevalent Jewish biases, they were wholly devoted to Him. They learned to follow His commands without question and gradually began to recognize the divine authority of their Teacher, believing Him to be the promised Messiah. At the conclusion of His Galilean mission, the Lord addressed this situation as He journeyed toward Caesarea, asking His disciples, "Who do the people say that the Son of Man is?" His question was not one of ignorance but a means to gauge their understanding of Him and reveal deeper truths. The answer came easily to the apostles, who, through their intimate engagement with the crowds and their own preaching of the Gospel among the Jewish cities, were informed of the diverse perceptions and opinions surrounding Jesus.

Before encouraging the disciples to affirm their beliefs publicly, Jesus posed the question, "Whom do men say that I am, the Son of man?" He sought to understand how the people regarded Him—who appeared before them in the humility of a servant's form. The disciples replied by mentioning the various opinions held by the people about Jesus. This varied feedback indicated that the populace had yet to reach a definitive conclusion regarding Him, with all the prevailing views ultimately misaligned and disrespectful to Christ. Thus, it was crucial to guide the disciples to articulate and clarify their understanding of faith by making a public and earnest confession. Consequently, the Lord inquired, "But whom do you say that I am?"

To prevent the Apostles from being discouraged by the sight of Jesus on the Cross, it was important to prepare them in advance, to instill in them the understanding that this was a divine necessity and part of God’s plan. Hence, Jesus often withdrew to secluded places, and whenever crowds gathered, He sought to distance Himself from them.

As He journeyed north from Bethsaida of Julia, He engaged the apostles in conversation, asking them, "Who do people say that I am?" (Mark 8:27). Jesus desired the apostles to express their own beliefs about His identity. He was well aware of the various opinions others held about Him, and His inquiry was meant to elicit a personal affirmation from the apostles. Many miracles had been performed before them, and they had already received extensive teachings from Him, along with the power to work miracles in His name. Thus, it was the right time for them to finally recognize who their Master truly was.

To differentiate this Caesarea from the coastal one, its inhabitants referred to it as Caesarea Philippi.

Philip’s father, Herod the Great, had beautified the city with a magnificent white marble temple dedicated to the emperor, acknowledging his divine status during his lifetime, almost nineteen years before Christ. The city also had a cult devoted to the shepherd god Pan, associated with the cave that supplied the Jordan's waters, which gave rise to its alternate name, Pania—a name that ultimately evolved into Bania. It was one of the most beautiful locales in the Holy Land, situated on a rocky terrace of the Hermon range, which rises up to three thousand feet. Numerous streams cascaded down its slopes through a diverse tapestry of flowers, shrubs, and woods. The main source of the Jordan still bubbled forth from the ancient cave of Pan, nestled at the mountain’s base beneath towering cliffs once adorned with marble statues of naiads and wood satyrs, alongside countless dedicatory plaques and the remnants of the old temple dedicated to this shepherd god.

A dense forest canopied the river's course, with oak and olive groves mingling among lush pastures and fields of grain. Rising above was Bania’s ancient fortress, possibly symbolizing the 'tower of Lebanon facing Damascus' mentioned in the Song of Songs. Amidst the serene beauty of this location, Christ could have found solace for His weary heart, had He been inclined to appreciate such external charms. From the hills where the city stood, one could gaze over all of northern Palestine, from the Phoenician plains to Samaria’s hills. To the north-east loomed the imposing shapes of Lebanon, while to the south lay the lush, flat expanse of Gauran. The view from Hermon laid bare the splendor of that ‘good land, where streams of waters, springs, and lakes emerge from the valley of the mountains, a land of wheat, barley, vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey.’

This remarkably fertile region was nourished by bubbling brooks that flowed toward the Jordan, never wider than twenty paces. Even in the days of the Judges, the Danites discovered that this land harbored abundant resources. Fields of wheat mingled with those of barley, maize, and rice, alongside gardens of oil, meadows, and flourishing pastures where bees zealously gathered honey; forests echoed with the songs of countless birds. Within this bountiful nature, Christ could find external comfort, yet His spirit was still troubled by prior experiences. He sought retreat here, having been rejected by the very people He came to redeem, finding safety only outside of Israel's bounds in this gentile territory.

His public ministry was nearing its conclusion; even in Galilee, where many followed Him, the impact of His message began to dwindle due to the slanders of the rabbis and His refusal to validate the popular conception of the Messiah with His authority. As the crowds realized He pursued only spiritual aspirations, diverging from their expectations of a political liberator, they abandoned Him in favor of their teachers who perpetuated national biases and viewed themselves as God’s chosen people, entitled heirs to the Messiah's kingdom. The martyrdom of John the Baptist foreshadowed His own fate, creating a pivotal moment in His life, marked by both grief and joy.

While He had only a handful of true followers, even that was sufficient to establish a new kingdom of God. This kingdom might be likened to a single grain in the vast field of the world or a mere drop of leaven in humanity's great mass; yet the grain would thrive to the earth's farthest corners, and the leaven would gradually permeate humanity across generations. His death would not spell the end for this new community; the seed of its growth would endure beyond Him in the small group of twelve apostles and others who sincerely believed in Him. Nevertheless, those entrusted with the mission of propagating His kingdom after His death needed to be firmly rooted in faith and enlightened concerning the nature of their relation to Him and the kingdom itself.

Within the humble and sincere hearts of the apostles, much still required correction and elevation, as they were Jews reared in the traditions of His adversaries and, though unwittingly, remained under their influence. Christ envisioned the kingdom of heaven in a manner distinctly different from theirs; thus, even among the twelve, He did not formally accept the title of Messiah although He welcomed Messianic honors when presented to Him. He acknowledged this significant identity to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well and, by silent agreement, in conversations with His disciples, reinforcing His Messianic status through His teaching and life. Yet, with His closest followers, He chose a cautious approach to avoid stunting their spiritual growth or unveiling profound truths while they were yet unready to grasp them.

In public, He refrained from declaring Himself the Messiah, fearing that the simplistic material expectations of the crowds would lead to conflict with the authorities. If anything, He aimed to minimize displays of His supernatural works, steering clear of the public spotlight on His miracles, allowing the beauty of His teachings and life to cultivate the expansion of His kingdom. To claim the title of Messiah outright could have jeopardized His influence, given that His essence ran counter to the prevailing Jewish ideals of a triumphant political Messiah. Instead of leading Israel to glory and power, He preached humility and contrition for sins. Rather than expecting Gentiles to submit to Israel's sovereignty, He declared their equality in standing and rights before God. He sought to abolish rabbinic traditions filled with rites and ceremonies, offering instead the establishment of a new covenant made with all of humanity.

While they yearned for an immediate political revolution, He taught that the fulfillment of the kingdom would come through the subtle yet powerful workings of God’s Word and Spirit, transforming the natural and moral fabric of human relations gradually and almost imperceptibly. Both the general populace and His closest disciples needed liberation from their preconceived notions of the past to accept the spiritual kingdom of the Messiah. The challenge they faced is evident from Salomia's request—after they had recognized Him as the Messiah—for her sons to be granted the seats of honor beside Him in His kingdom. Aware of His disciples' lack of preparation, Christ had refrained from inquiring about their perceptions of Him until now, as the end drew near, necessitating that they acknowledge His true divine nature.

He had to definitively reveal Himself as the Messiah so that His followers could formally acknowledge Him as such. Merely proclaiming that the kingdom of God was imminent, akin to John the Baptist, would leave His mission unfinished and open the door to expecting another as the kingdom's leader. Without a personal figure to rally around, the work of His life would falter after His death. His very essence—reflected in the beauty of His life and the selfless height of His sacrifice—was destined to become the enduring soul of this new society, for its foundation rested upon faith and love for Him. His teachings, His life, His voluntary humiliation, and His boundless self-denial—all of which led Him to wield His infinite powers solely for others—culminated in His suffering a horrific death for humanity’s sake. This journey elevated Him to the pinnacle of love and goodness, inherently designating Him as the King, or Messiah, of the kingdom He had established.

Thus, ‘the love of Christ’ would serve as the guiding principle for His followers through the ages, empowering them to endure the harshest persecutions and even martyrdom while remaining devoted to spreading His message in obedience to His commandments and emulating His example. As future Apostle Paul proclaimed, ‘the love of Christ constrains us,’ symbolizing the spirit of all true followers. St. John affirmed that our love for Him arises only because He first loved us. He established a kingdom unprecedented in history built on personal affection for its Founder, and as such, He needed to make His relationship to this kingdom known as its acknowledged Messiah-King.

This monumental moment in the evolution of His divine mission bore profound significance for the holy and tender nature of the God-man. His life was a continuous communion with His heavenly Father, yet there were instances when this yearning deepened. In moments of human frailty—untainted by sin—He sought to fortify Himself through intimate communion with His Father, with whom His thoughts flowed in sacred harmony. In times of trial, He consistently turned to prayer, and now, in light of Israel’s rejection and the looming vision of the cross, as the clarity of His kingdom became apparent, poised to extend to the world from the threshold of His tomb, He found within this profound moment a sublime and solemn gravity.

As they journeyed from town to town, progressing northward, Christ immersed Himself in divine contemplation and fervent prayer, until at last they arrived at the region of Caesarea Philippi. There, He withdrew to a quiet place amid vast wooded valleys to seek solitude in prayer. In this sacred communion with His Father, having rejuvenated His spirit, He resolved to delay no further in revealing Himself fully. It was time to lift the veil and openly accept the Messianic title that had been tacitly attributed to Him by His inner circle of followers, who had quietly acknowledged it without His formal declaration. He returned to His disciples, presenting them with a solemn inquiry: ‘Who do men say that I am, the Son of Man?’

The apparent discrepancy between Mark and Luke can be reconciled by considering that while en route to the villages of Caesarea, the Lord engaged in prayer in a secluded area, accompanied by His disciples, while the crowd kept a distance from them.