TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Isaiah 22: 15, 19-23; Romans 11: 33-36; Matthew 16: 13-20

(Rev. Francis Perry Azah)

On this Sunday, each of the readings for the liturgy puts before our consideration the notion of authority. In the first reading, Isaiah recounts the transference of power from one who has proven unworthy of the responsibility to another. The gospel narrative comprises Jesus’ designation of Peter as the rock and leader of the community of believers. There is a striking parallel between the reading from the prophet Isaiah and St. Matthew’s Gospel. The prophet denounces the master of the palace, Shebna, and says that the Lord will place another, the more worthy servant Eliakim, in his place. Eliakim will have binding authority over David’s House, and the Lord will make him secure. He will be a father to all.

St. Matthew’s Gospel portrays a similar investiture of power. Jesus gives the earthly power and authority of his kingdom to Simon, who will in the future be known as the foundation stone of the new Temple: the Church. Simon is renamed Peter (Kepha), an Aramaic word meaning "a sizable rock”, one suitable as a foundation stone. Several promises are made: that it is on and through Peter that Jesus will build his Church on earth; that Peter is to have binding moral, temporal and spiritual authority over the Church; that evil will not withstand the Kingdom. Curiously, all this is to be done discreetly by Jesus and his disciples until after Jesus has accomplished his earthly mission.

After the disciples of Jesus have decided to follow Him, in this week’s gospel, Jesus presses for clarification about that decision. What do the disciples believe about Him? We have come to that time in Matthew’s Gospel when Jesus’ reputation has spread throughout the land, even through the region of Caesarea Philippi. Judging by the name of the region, we may conclude that there must have been a strong Roman (Pagan) influence in this place that was considerably distant from Galilee. Let’s remember what we read in the proclamations of these past Sundays. Jesus fed five thousand with a few loaves and two fish and had twelve baskets of leftovers. He came to the disciples walking on the water through a violent storm. He had the mission-altering conversation with the Canaanite woman.

In the light of all these events, listen to the question Jesus asks his disciples: Who do people say that the Son of Man is? The people, meaning the crowds. Simply put, Son of Man is another way of referring to Jesus himself. So the question rings in the apostles' ears like this: Who do the crowds say that I am? Taking in all that the people have heard, what is their conclusion? That is what Jesus actually asks the disciples. There is no question that everyone who has had any experience of Him recognizes His greatness by now. Look at the luminaries they place him among – John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. That is another way of saying that the people, the crowds, know that God worked through these giants in the tradition, and they suspect that God is working through Jesus now.

Today’s Gospel reading can further stir the imagination. The disciples of Jesus, through their leader Peter, show their commitment without hesitation by stating who He is: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God". It makes us wonder: what must Peter have thought as Jesus gave him the unprecedented authority to hold the keys to the Kingdom of heaven? What a terrible and wonderful thing. Peter had just acknowledged who Jesus was, the Son of God, and now Jesus does something that only the Son of God could do. Jesus proclaims Peter as the rock, the foundation of the Church on earth, and gives him authority to decide what is to be held as bound by members of that Church and what is not. Jesus, in effect, is saying that whatever Peter decides regarding the Church, God will confirm it.

In this reading, Jesus gives us an idea of how ultimate authority comes to us: by knowing, believing in, understanding, and listening to Him. How could Peter have been given the title of rock except by knowing and declaring Christ as the Messiah, the Son of the living God (cf. Matthew 16:18)? Peter was not a rock to trip people; he was a rock on which Jesus was to build His Church---an impenetrable Church which the gate of hell shall not prevail against (cf. Matthew 16:18). Peter was to hold the keys of the kingdom of heaven. His was an exalted position with an authority to bind and loose. Though no human has ever been given this type of authority, all believers in Christ, as well as those in authority positions at different levels, have, to some extent, a share in this authority for the good of the human family and to the glory of God.

My brothers and sisters, there is something very important to learn about today's message. Sometimes in life, we may not understand why things happen the way they do. But surely, be certain, God, who is everywhere, knows all, sees all, and is in control of all situations. Every event, though mysterious at the time when it occurs, serves a spiritual purpose for our own individual spiritual growth and also for the benefit of the Church as a whole. Today, we may not understand why certain things are happening in our lives. The events may appear mysterious, incomprehensible, and even strange. But if we reflect on our past, five or ten years ago, we may realize that what once seemed a mystery or a coincidence we now comprehend in the ways it contributed to our spiritual growth based on our personal experiences. And although the Heavenly Father was mysterious in His ways at the time, His Divine Will was now made known to us. Let’s ponder: can any one of us give a complete and perfect answer to the question “Who do you say that I am?” To get to the actual answer, we will have to move beyond what others have said about Jesus; we will have to truly have a personal relationship with Him and be able to point others to Him, and most critically, through how we live our lives.