Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost |
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Scripture |
Matthew 16:13-20 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19 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.” 20 Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
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Devotional |
Jesus had been teaching, preaching, and healing for some time. But did anyone really understand who he was and why he had come? Caesarea Philippi, about twenty miles north of the Sea of Galilee, had earlier been the site of a Baal cultic center, then in Hellenistic times became known as Paneas because god Pan had been worshipped in the famous grotto and spring there, but was renamed by Herod the Great after he built there a temple to Caesar Augustus. 1 On this historical site, Jesus forms a new community of those who profess to his identity. Jesus’ identity is not new to the disciples, who have heard Jesus refer to himself as Son of God. When Jesus came to their boat with Peter they recognize him the Son of God, but this is the first time they recognize him as the Messiah. Did Jesus choose this site because of its history? Peter’ confession, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Is this Peter’s personal confession or does Peter answer on behalf of the whole community? Peter not only represents all the disciples as their spokesperson but he also speaks for the typical Christian. Peter becomes the representative of the entire Christian faith. Do you think that Jesus’ intention was to make Peter the doorkeeper of the kingdom? “By making Peter the rock on which the church will be built, Jesus indicates that the church will need to be so built because hell itself will try to destroy what Jesus has established. It is not Peter’s task to make the church safe and secure or to try to insure its existence. Rather, it is Peter’s task to keep the church true to its mission, which is to witness to the Messiah. That witness is called to be holy, requiring our willingness to confront one another if we think we have been sinned against (Matthew 18:15 ).” 2 The argument of whether Peter’s confession gives him a unique role in the church or if Jesus build the church on the foundation of the Peter’s confession. What did we get? A separate new community was established, one separate from those who oppose and reject it. Did Jesus recognize the fact that there would be conflict within this new community of followers? Does the modern church reflect Jesus’ idea of the kingdom he promised was coming? Do you think Jesus ever looks at the church and thinks “I started this!” Richard Rohr writes in the introduction to Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality “Although I am clearly a Catholic, I would hope that my Protestant and Anglican brothers and sisters would also find much to guide and inspire them. There is clearly an “emerging church” that is gathering the scriptural, the contemplative, the scholarly and the justice-oriented wisdom from every part of the Body of Christ.” Is this what Jesus means when he said, “on this rock I build my Church.” 1 M. Eugene Boring , The Gospel of Matthew, in The new Interpreter’s Bible. Nashville : Abingdon Press, 1995, p. 343 |