It's easy to be misunderstood. My wife and I still laugh about her first impressions of me when we were in college. She saw my natural shyness as aloofness. I think we've got that straightened out now. Somehow, I hadn't communicated well to her.

When we're misunderstood, we haven't communicated properly. For instance, the person who wrote this ad for a car fix-it shop didn't mean to convey what he did: "Auto Repair Service. Free pick-up and delivery. Try us once and you'll never go anywhere again." That's not exactly a confidence builder.

Jesus was misunderstood during His ministry, but unlike the examples mentioned above, it wasn't His fault. Even the people who lived with Him and observed Him closely didn't understand His mission. For a long time, they didn't see that He was the God-sent Messiah. That's why His question in Mark 8:29 is so vital. There He asked His disciples, "Who do you say that I am?"

"You are the Christ," Peter replied. At last, he saw clearly who Jesus was--the Messiah, the Savior, the Son of God. When people misunderstand Him today, it's not because He hasn't made clear who He is and what His mission is.

Peter finally understood. Do you?  — Dave Branon