Genesis 9:1-13 / Mark 8:27-33
In a number of companies, there is an annual appraisal for the staff. Other words that can mean the same thing are assessment and performance-review.
Generally speaking, the purpose is to help the staff improve themselves in the areas of team-work, productivity and efficiency.
Most of the time, it is the supervisors or superiors who do the appraisal or assessment or performance-review on their subordinates.
It is a time for the supervisors or superiors to affirm or correct the subordinates with the objective of focusing on the company's vision and mission.
In today's gospel, Jesus turned all this around by asking His disciples who do people say He is and what the people think of Him.
And then He went on to ask them what they themselves say who He is.
But in having to answer that question as to who they think He is, it is in a way like an appraisal. The disciples cannot say what others think of Jesus. They have to say who Jesus is from their own convictions.
And with some divine inspiration, Peter declared who Jesus really is, that Jesus is the Christ.
But what Peter and the rest of the disciples may not be prepared for was what Jesus was going to tell them - that He will suffer grievously and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests.
As much as we may know that Jesus is the Christ, the conviction of who Jesus really is will be on the Cross.
As His disciples, we must take up our crosses and follow our Master if we say that we know who Jesus is.