24th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024

 Who do you think you are?

I’m sure many of you have seen the popular show Who Do You Think You Are?—the show where celebrities trace their family trees and discover incredible stories about their ancestors. 

For some, it’s a journey of uncovering hidden connections, while for others, it’s a journey of discovering who they really are. Their roots reveal something deeper about their identity, shaping how they see themselves and their lives today.

Take Conan O’Brien, for example. On the show, he explored his Irish heritage and uncovered stories of his ancestors living through famine and extreme hardship. 

These stories didn’t just change how he viewed his ancestors—they changed how he viewed himself. He realized that the same strength and perseverance that carried his family through those difficult times are a part of him today.

The premise of the show centers around a question that all of us, at one point or another, have probably asked ourselves: 

Who am I? Where do I come from? What defines me? 

That same question runs through the readings today, but with a twist. In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks His disciples, "Who do people say that I am?"

The disciples were ready with answers for the first question. They shared the popular opinions of the time: "Some say you’re John the Baptist, others Elijah, or one of the prophets." 

But Jesus wasn’t interested in what everyone else thought. He turned to them and asked, "But who do you say that I am?"

And it’s Peter who speaks up, declaring, “You are the Christ.”

This is a pivotal moment. Peter recognizes that Jesus is more than a great teacher, more than a prophet. He is the Messiah, the Savior, the one sent to redeem the world. 

Peter, in this moment of clarity, gets it right. 

But as we see, he doesn’t fully understand what being the Messiah really means.

Just like in Who Do You Think You Are?, where the celebrities might uncover surprising or even difficult truths about their ancestors, Peter is about to face a hard truth about who Jesus really is. 

Jesus begins to explain that being the Christ means suffering, rejection, and death on the cross. It’s not the triumphant, earthly Messiah that Peter and the others had hoped for.

Peter, thinking in human terms, can’t accept this. He tries to rebuke Jesus. But Jesus’ response is firm: "Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

This is where the rubber meets the road for Peter, the disciples, and for all of us. 

Just as the people on Who Do You Think You Are? are often transformed by the stories they discover, we, too, are called to be transformed by the truth of who Jesus is and what it means to follow Him. 

Jesus makes it clear: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.”

This is the heart of our Christian faith. It’s not just about recognizing Jesus as the Christ in some abstract way. 

It’s about understanding that following Christ means living out that faith in our lives—taking up our crosses, embracing the difficult paths, and trusting in God’s plan, even when it doesn’t make sense from a worldly point of view.

This brings us to the second reading from James, where we’re reminded that faith, without works, is dead. It’s not enough to say we believe in Jesus if that belief doesn’t change the way we live. 

If someone is hungry or in need, and all we say is, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” without doing anything to help, what good is that?

Just as the people on Who Do You Think You Are? learn that their ancestors’ choices, struggles, and sacrifices shaped who they are today, our faith in Christ should shape how we live—especially in how we serve others. 

True faith manifests itself in love and action. It’s more than words; it’s about how we respond to the needs around us.

There once was a college professor, known for his strict punctuality, tells his students that if they’re even one minute late, their work won’t count. 

Throughout the semester, he sticks to this policy. On the day of the final, everyone shows up on time—except for one student, who strolls in 20 minutes late. The professor is fuming, thinking, "Just wait until he tries to turn in his test!"

Finally, the student walks up to the professor to hand in his paper. The professor angrily demands, "Just who do you think you are?"

The student replies, "Don’t you know who I am?"

The professor, still furious, says, "No, I don’t!"

The student smiles, shoves his test into the middle of the stack and says, “Thank goodness” and runs out of the room!

Just like the professor in the joke, we sometimes miss the deeper point of asking, "Who do you think you are?" 

The professor didn’t know the student’s name, but he was asking the wrong question. 

Similarly, in the Gospel today, the disciples were focused on what others said about Jesus, but Jesus wanted them to answer for themselves: "Who do you say that I am?"

The point is, it’s not enough to think about how others define Jesus or what the world says about Him. We have to answer that question ourselves, and it’s the most important question we will ever answer. 

Because once we recognize Jesus as the Christ, the Savior, it changes everything about how we live. 

And unlike the professor in the joke, Jesus knows exactly who we are. He sees us, loves us, and calls us by name to follow Him.

So, as you go forth this week, ask yourself: Who is Jesus to me? 

And let that answer guide how you live your life, through your words, your actions, and the way you carry your cross.