"Who Do You Say That I Am?"

(Mark 8:27-31) (Saturday of the Akathist Hymn)

Today, we celebrate the most holy Lady Theotokos, and the Akathist hymn written in her honor over 1400 years ago. Tradition says that the Akathist hymn was one of many hymns written by St. Romanus the Melodist. The kontakion with which the Akathist begins and ends was written after the city of Constantinople was delivered from attack by the protection of the Theotokos: “To thee, the champion leader, we thy servants dedicate a feast of victory and thanks-giving, as ones rescued out of sufferings, O Theotokos…”

In celebration, we offer this Divine Liturgy. As always takes place at the Divine Liturgy, we offer bread and wine to our God, Who blesses the offering to be His most pure Body and Blood, given to us to cleanse and heal and strengthen us. As such, we are making as well an offering of ourselves – at least, we have the opportunity to do so, to offer ourselves in faith to be the servants of God, to be the bearers of the life of Christ, to open our hearts to allow Him to dwell in us, and to so direct and transform our lives that He may be seen in us, and through us draw others, even the whole world, to Himself.

The Gospel reading appointed for this day in Great Lent asks a question of profound significance, and we must not neglect it or fail to consider it ourselves. Our Lord asks His disciples – which means not only those who were with Him at that point in time and space, but also each of us who are called by His name, each of us who have received His life in baptism – to consider Who He is, and what this means for us. First, He asks, “Who do men” – that is, the world – “say that I am?” The disciples report a variety of answers: A prophet; the prophet Elijah; John the Baptizer. To this, we might add, “a good man, a wise teacher, a good example; a mystic; a madman; a fraud.” But the essential question comes next: “Who do you say that I am?” St. Peter gives the correct answer: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Because we know the answer printed in the book, we have a tendency to respond that way at those unlikely times when we might actually be asked this same question, as we are being asked today. As such, we need to remember that what we do is at least as important as what we say. If Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Son of the living God, then He is our Lord and Master, and we belong to Him. Belonging to Him, we are His servants; and He would have His servants do His will, and not to do that which is contrary to His will. Every time we sin, we are being disobedient servants. If we say, then, that Jesus Christ is Lord, but do not live in accordance with His will, we make our words empty and powerless. And if we deny Him, in word or in deed, before the world, how can we expect Him to speak on our behalf before the Judgment seat of God?

Brothers and sisters, let us consider well the place we grant to our Lord in our lives. Does He rule over us, and do we follow Him, as we should? Or do we push Him aside, in order to pursue the desires of our will and our flesh? Do we walk in the ways that He has established for us, or according to the ways of the world, the flesh, and the devil? As we draw close to the end of Great Lent, as we draw nearer the great Feast of our Lord’s Pascha, let us reflect, and repent, and pray for mercy, and the grace of God, that we may show forth in our lives, in words and in deeds, that we also believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.