First Reading – Isaiah 22: 19 – 23
Second Reading – Romans 11:33-36
Gospel – Matthew 16:13-20
Jesus challenges us to kn ow him personally as he makes an exclusive, concerned, loving claim upon each one of us. He invites us to discover him, serve him and love him as Lord and he wants from each one of us our total, single-hearted response. He offers an exclusive promise, and builds with us the best and unique friendship which indicates that through him and in him alone we will find salvation. From today’s readings, we perceive the depth of the riches, wisdom and knowledge of God. We come to the realisation that the judgments of God are indeed mysterious and yet contain his deep concern for us.
In the Gospel of today we have the profession of faith by Peter in the messiahship of Jesus. In response Jesus confers on Peter the primacy and leadership in the church he was establishing. At the same time Jesus tells him that he will be the foundation of his church and grants him the gift of infallibility. Here we recall a high point in Jesus’ relationship with his disciples. They had been with Jesus for nearly three years. They had heard his teaching and seen his miracles. He had even sent them out on a mission to heal and to preach. They were attached to Jesus and had grown in their understanding of him. It took them quite a while to become aware who Jesus really was. He was a popular person, a great leader and wonderful teacher. Yet, as the rest of the Gospel clearly indicates, they still did not fully understand the implications of what they had just begun to realise. Some had even expressed doubt about Jesus even after the resurrection.
The incident took place at Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus asks his disciples who the Son of Man is. Here Jesus starts asking his disciples asking the question, what people are saying about him. Jesus calls himself “Son of Man” here, thus identifying himself with the Messianic figure in the seventh chapter of Daniel, which says: “Behold with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man… to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.” In response the disciples tell him that people think he is John the Baptist, executed recently by Herod and raised to life. Some think him to be Prophet Elijah who went to heaven in a fiery chariot without tasting death and was expected to return as a sign of the imminent coming of the Messiah. Others thought him to be prophet Jeremiah, who had hidden the Ark of the Covenant and he was expected to show it before the coming of the Messiah.
Peter, speaking on behalf of the community, said without any hesitation that they were assured that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Son of the living God. He is someone extra-ordinary. Jesus now turns his attention to Peter and confers on him the blessing for the response he gave. Jesus recognises Peter’s response to be the result of divine revelation and beyond what any human could have known from human knowledge alone. He tells him: “Simon, son of Jonah, you are a happy man. Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but it is my Father in heaven who revealed this to you.” Only faith could have led Peter to say what he did. Jesus uses this divine revelation as a basis for granting Peter a special role in the establishing of the church. He then declares Peter to be blessed, as God has conferred on him special grace to differ from his unbelieving countrymen.
Immediately after this Jesus declared the authority with which Peter would be invested. He gave also the power to forgive sins of people the function that belongs to God alone. They will now be the messengers of God. The words binding and loosing, in the common language of the Jews, signified to forbid and to allow, or to teach what is lawful or unlawful and Jesus gives Peter and his companions this power. Jesus tells Peter that whatever he binds on earth shall be considered bound in heaven. Thus in the Gospel to show Peter’s authority Jesus tells him that he would give him the keys of the kingdom of heaven. We need to pay attention to the symbolism of the keys which are the expression of domestic authority. To have keys to a place designates a special kind of power as in receiving the charge of a house or vehicle. The symbolism of the keys here expresses the authority given by Jesus to Peter and his successors. The meaning of the conferral of the keys could not be explained or rationalised away, as many rationalise it today when they view the Church as merely a political institution. The keys to the kingdom come from God and from no one else. Peter has been given the authority of the keys directly by Jesus.
We need to accept Jesus as our Lord and personal Savior: Jesus is not merely the founder of a new religion, or a revolutionary Jewish reformer, or one of the great teachers. For Christians, he is the Son of God and our personal Savior. This means that we have to see Jesus as the Good Shepherd, the Savior, and the Redeemer. He is our beloved Friend, closer to us than our dear ones, and a living experience, who walks with us, loves us, forges us, helps us, and transforms our lives and outlook. We have to give all areas of our lives to him. He must have a say in our daily lives, and we must radiate all around us his sacrificial agápe love, unconditional forgiveness, overflowing mercy, and committed service. The joy, the love, and the peace that we find in Jesus should be reflected in the way we live our lives.We need to experience Jesus as our Lord and Savior and surrender our lives to him. The knowledge of Jesus as Lord and personal Savior should become a living, personal experience for each Christian.
Do you know who I am? The archbishop wanted to pray for and share his love with the residents of a local nursing home. As he entered the lobby of the nursing home, he saw a ninety-year-old lady strolling in a wheelchair. He faced her and asked her whether she knew who he is. She said, “Sir, if you do not know who you are, go to the front desk and ask the receptionist. It is always better to know who you are before visiting old folks like me.!”