12 PENTECOST - PROPER XVI - A
- 17 MATTHEW 16.13-20
Obviously, they had heard of
the miraculous feeding and of His ability to heal, the most dreaded of diseases
now they wanted him to perform a sign for them. Jesus refuses. Taking his
disciples aside, he warns them of the “leaven” of the Pharisees and the
scribes, meaning their teaching. It is after all of this that Jesus and his
disciples retreat into the district of Caesarea Philippi.
This district was far north
of the land of Israel, well outside the territory of King Herod and a good two
days walk from the Sea of Galilee. There were no scribes or Pharisees to test
him. Instead, Jesus “tests” the disciples. The two questions posed by Jesus are
recorded in all three of the synoptic gospels and mark a turning point in the
story of Jesus.
From this point on Jesus
begins to speak of his destiny in terms of his suffering and death, rather than
speaking only in terms of the coming of the kingdom of God. In asking the first
question “Who do people say that the Son of Man is; Jesus must have known the
answer he would get, but he wanted the disciples to say it out loud.
This tells us a good deal of
how the people perceived Jesus. The answer the disciples gave was a varied one.
Some said John the Baptist, at least Herod thought so. Some said Elijah. Jewish
tradition expected that Elijah would return in the last days to prepare for the
coming of the Lord. Some said Jeremiah, because it was he who predicted the
establishment of the new covenant and Jesus’ words mirrored the language of the
new covenant.
Others said one of the prophets, or the
prophet. The prophet would have significance since Deut. 18.15-22 promised God
would send one greater than Moses. Upon hearing the disciple’s answers of his
first question, Jesus then asks ‘But who do you say that I am?”
It is the greatest question a
person can ever face, for it is the question that defines Christianity. Peter
takes on the role as spokesman, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living
God.”
Obviously some of the things
that Jesus had been doing (miracles) and saying had puzzled the disciples up to
this point with a perplexity that would only be resolved after the resurrection.
What Peter is saying here was that Jesus was the true king. That he was the one
that Israel had been waiting for. That he was the one the Psalms and Prophets
had predicted.
Peter’s response was a divine
illumination of the moment; a God-given answer. However, we see just a few
verses later when Jesus announces his death in Jerusalem that Peter reverts to
a very human response. Here, however, Jesus seems to reward him by giving him
the name “rock.”
On this “rock” Jesus says, he
will build his church. The ‘rock” refers not to Peter per se, but to the faith
of his confession. The true rock is Christ himself. The faith of Peter
expressed in his confession of Christ as the Son of the living God would be and
is the foundation for Christ’ new community - the Church.
That is what Jesus came to
build, a community consisting of all of those who would give their allegiance
to him as God’s anointed. Peter’ reply, then, affirms two great truths
concerning Jesus - his divine son ship and his messiah ship. The “rock” the
church is built on is Peter’s faith in both.
Peter still has much to
learn, as do, all of the Apostles, but this is part of the process of becoming
what God intended for them to be. After all, Jesus’ new community consists of
forgiven sinners. God has led Peter to faith through his experience of the
lord. Peter has a place in the purpose of God.
And the purpose comes next in the text. “I
will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth
will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in
heaven.”
The Jewish rabbis of Jesus’
day had the power to pronounce what was forbidden and what was permitted
according to the Law of Moses. They did not have the power to add to it or
subtract from it. These decisions, according to Jewish tradition, were
acknowledged in heaven.
The power of the Church to
bind and loose is a power to interpret the law of Christ, and likewise not a power
to add to it or subtract from it. The “keys” Jesus is giving to Peter and
ultimately to the rest of the Apostles, is the authority to “teach” and
discipline the new community that would spring up after Pentecost.
At Pentecost, all of the
Apostles would be empowered as stewards of the mysteries of God, becoming
scribes of the kingdom, with the power to interpret God’s will in the power of
the Holy Spirit.
Our answer, then, to the
question of Jesus “who do you say that I am,” marks a turning point in our
lives. Through the gift of faith we proclaim Christ as the Son of the living
God. Our eyes are opened to the discovery that each of us has a place in God’s
purpose in bringing salvation to the world.
The world we live in today is
a dark and scary place. The international scene is filled with wars and rumors
of war. Extremists in the name of religion carry out destructive acts that
claim both life and property. On the home front, our country is sorely divided
both politically and socially to the point that we stand on the verge of
imploding. Right thinking, sanity, and justice need to prevail in the wake of
hatred, distrust, and disrespect.
Yet it would appear as if our
Christian witness has been silenced. Jesus’ question is a test of our faith.
Where is the Christian witness today? Why don’t all who profess faith that
Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God stand up for peace?
Isaiah warns in the first
lesson that one day the heavens will vanish like smoke, and the earth will wear
out like a garment. Need we remind ourselves that we are living between
Advents? We are in a waiting period.
However, our waiting is not to be one of
inactivity but one of witnessing to the saving grace and love of God in Christ.
Thus, St. Paul exhorts us in his letter to the church at Rome not to be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so
that we may discern what is the will of God - what is good, acceptable and
perfect, and then do it.
Jesus came to build a
community of faith. He willingly gave His life on the hardwood of the cross
that it might continue to grow. He sent the gift of the Holy Spirit, not only
to unify us as members of His Body the Church in our profession and witness of
our faith in Him both as our Lord and the One whom God has sent to bring
salvation to all, but more importantly to have the courage to proclaim Him as
such.
Pray then that God will grant
us His grace that we might fulfill our place in His divine purpose by showing
forth the power of His Love among all peoples, to the Glory of His name,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and forever. AMEN+
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