The journey that drives Mark's gospel finds Jesus moving on continuing to spread the boundaries of his mission. Already Jesus has been well beyond Galilee, to the northwestern region of Tyre and Sidon, and to the southeast and Decapolis. Now as chapter 8 opens, Jesus and the disciples journey far to the northeast and enter Caesarea Philippi. Here in this distant corner of the countryside, Jesus turns to his disciples and asks, "Who do people say that I am" (v.27)?

It is obvious from the recent discussion in 8:14-21 that Jesus' followers are woefully far from comprehending the exact nature of Jesus' power and authority. Both Jesus' exasperated exclamation in 8:21 ("Do you not yet understand?") and his patient healing of the blind man in 8:22-26 point to a continuing inability to grasp Jesus…