21st Sunday Ordinary Time
Fr. Joonbin Lim
Preached: August 23, 2026
Have you ever seriously thought about who Jesus is?
In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They answer, John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. They were trying to understand Jesus through what they already knew. But then Jesus asks them directly, “But who do you say that I am?”
This question is also given to each one of us today. We all have our own image of Jesus. For some, Jesus is the one who comforts us. For others, he is the one who helps us in difficult times or forgives our sins.
But the Jesus I think about is not the whole of who Jesus is. We can read the Bible, study theology, and learn about his words and actions. These are very important. But Jesus is always greater than our knowledge, our experience, and our imagination.
Sometimes we try to put Jesus into the image we have created. We may think, “Jesus should do this for me,” or “I prayed, so he should give me what I asked for.” We may even ask, “If God loves me, why is this happening?” And without realizing it, we may begin to believe not in Jesus himself, but in the Jesus we want him to be.
Faith means not forcing Jesus to fit our expectations. It means letting go of our own ideas and receiving him as he reveals himself to us. Peter says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answers, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.”
This tells us that truly knowing Jesus is not only a matter of knowledge. It is also a gift of faith. God opens our hearts so that we can recognize who Jesus truly is.
In our faith life, we may want to experience Jesus in a strong or special way. Some people feel deep consolation in prayer. Some have a powerful experience of God’s presence. But not everyone has that kind of experience.
That does not mean that Jesus is not coming to us. What we feel is not the only measure of whether we have encountered Jesus. Jesus is with us even when we do not feel him. Sometimes he comes quietly through the kindness of another person, through a word of comfort, or through the strength we receive to endure a difficult time.
So faith is not about having many extraordinary experiences. Faith is trusting that Jesus is still with us even when we do not understand, and even when we do not feel his presence.
Today Jesus asks each one of us again, “Who do you say that I am?” May we be able to answer from our hearts: “Lord, I cannot fully understand you. Sometimes I cannot feel your presence. But I believe that you are the Son of the living God, and that you are always with me.”
