Day 301 - Matthew 16, Mark 9

Note that he is not asking them their own opinion. Rather, he asks the opinion of the people. Why? In order to contrast the opinion of the people with the disciples answer to the question “But who do you say that I am?” In this way, by the manner of his inquiry, they might be drawn gradually to a more sublime notion and not fall into the same common view as that of the multitude.

Note that Jesus does not raise this question at the beginning of his preaching but only after he had done many miracles, had talked through with them many lofty teachings, and had given them many clear proofs of his divinity and of his union with the Father. Only then does he put this question to them.

He did not ask “Who do the scribes and Pharisees say that I am?” even though they had often come to him and discoursed with him. Rather, he begins his questioning by asking “Who do men say the Son of man is?” as if to inquire about common opinion. Even if common opinion was far less true than it might have been, it was at least relatively more free from malice than the opinions of the religious leaders, which was teeming with bad motives.

He signifies how earnestly he desires this divine economy to be confessed when he says, “Who do men say the Son of man is?” for he thereby denotes his godhead, which he does also in many other places—St John Chrysostom