And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?” (Luke 9:18 NAS95)
It appears funny to me that Jesus opens up the conversation He and His Father shared to the disciples. He invites them right into the middle of it. Sometimes I wonder how the conversation went with His Father: “Dad, do you think the people are understanding who I am? What about my best friends, are they getting it?” I imagine God replied, “Why don’t you ask?” So Jesus did just that. What a relationship with God Jesus had! He spoke to an invisible God and treated Him as present in His conversation with His visible friends. I know this because Matthew adds an insightful detail as he recounts the same event. He records Jesus’ words that His Father in heaven revealed to Peter what he had shared: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus was talking to His Father, while His Father was apparently talking to Peter.
I find it interesting that Jesus prays in the presence of His friends and then notices that God grants deep insight to one of them. Prayer was happening with Peter without him noticing it. His awareness bubbled up with possibilities concerning Jesus’ identity and somehow Peter’s answer fit. Jesus’ words confirmed God’s conversation with Peter. I’m sure, however, that Peter’s experience was a bit more filled with fuzziness, guessing, then speaking, as his awareness seemed to blossom with the perception that Jesus must be the Christ, the Son of the living God. Peter had experienced God initiated speech in the middle of Jesus’ prayer. Jesus noticed this so Peter could grow in his own interaction with the Father. I wonder if God wants us to take note too?
For Reflection:
“The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant.” (Psalms 25:14 NAS95)
- What has touched your attention in wonder and desires to seep fully into you conscious awareness? Maybe, like Peter, God wants to draw your attention to something?
- There seems to be a correlation between slowing down and increasing one’s ability to discern God’s overtures. What have you noticed about this in your own life?
