Yesterday, my wife told me that the Facebook account of one of our friends had been hacked. She warned me not to believe any messages coming from the account, especially if “our friend” suddenly asks us to send money through GCash. 😅 It may look like her account, use her name and photos, and even sound convincing, but it is not really her. In today's world, we hear so many stories, forwarded messages, viral posts, and fake news that sometimes we really have to stop and ask: Is this true?
Interestingly, something similar happens in Luke 9:7-9. Herod keeps hearing different stories about Jesus. Some say He is John the Baptist raised from the dead, others say Elijah, while others say one of the ancient prophets. With all these stories circulating, Herod becomes confused and asks, “Who then is this about whom I hear such things?” He had heard many things about Jesus, but he did not really know Jesus.
Maybe there is something here for us too. We hear many things every day, not only about current events or people online, but even about God. We hear homilies, reflections, formation talks, testimonies, and opinions. These can help us, but our faith cannot remain based only on what other people tell us about Jesus. At some point, we need to encounter Him ourselves through Scripture, prayer, the Eucharist, community, and the experiences of our own lives.
In a world where it is becoming harder to distinguish what is real from what is fake, perhaps we need both discernment and relationship. We verify before believing every story we encounter, and in our faith, we go beyond simply hearing stories about Jesus to personally knowing Him. Herod asked, “Who is this?” Perhaps today Jesus turns the question back to us: “After everything you have heard about Me, who am I to you?”
