Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This text brings us to the center point of Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus and his disciples have walked twenty miles from the northern point of the Sea of Galilee to the Mediterranean Coastal city of Caesarea Philippi, near the head waters of the River Jordan. They have completely entered pagan territory. The city is heavily influenced by Greek culture and was founded by Caesar Augustus and given to Herod the Great. The city had one of the largest deep-water ports in the region and was a center for international trade.

It is in this mostly pagan region, far from the press of the Jewish people that Jesus asks this most important question. Here he uses a colloquialism to refer to himself, “the Son of Man”, a term which really refers to himself in a third person format. It was a term used frequently in the prophets. It is fair to say, “who do people say that I am?” would be an equally fair translation. His disciples, to date, with small exceptions, have alluded to his particular relationship to the Father, but they demure here. The popular consensus has been that he is John the Baptist back from the dead, (Herod made this statement), and others proclaim him one of the prophets of old who also worked many signs and wonders. But now Jesus gets to the heart of the matter. He asks them, “Who do you say that I am?” Remember the last two or three chapters of the gospel have Jesus performing wonders and signs never seen before. Jesus has shown his disciples his ability to control nature and revealed the suspension of the natural order in the multiplying of bread and fish for nearly 10,000 souls. Jesus’ further walks on water and rescues a floundering Peter. Having witnessed this and more, Jesus now asks them who they believe him to be. Peter once again, without hesitation states, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” This is a very packed response, but one that stands out amongst all the rest.

The word messiah translates as ‘anointed one’ a term that often referred to many of the prophets and kings of the Old Testament all who were installed in their particular ministry by a rite of anointing. The term itself is rarely used in the Hebrew Scriptures, but the meaning and hope of an ‘anointed one’ fills its pages. Over and over again the Old Testament speaks of the ‘Davidic Line’ and how God would call from the house of this King one who would be like a son to God and who would raise Israel back to its original glory. This royal messiah would lead Israel in justice and strength and bring back right worship to the Temple, banishing all corruption and foreign influences. But Peter does not stop at recognizing Jesus as the ‘Anointed one’, he goes even further and announces him as the ‘Son of the living God’. The two terms were interrelated as mentioned above, there was a sense of divine sonship by adoption that kings and prophets experienced as the ones chosen by God for their role in leading Israel. However, Matthew makes clear as we have seen in the previous chapters of the gospel that Jesus Sonship is not like any other. He has a unique relationship with the Father and the Father’s spirit rests with him. Jesus’ Sonship is more profound than Peter or anyone could ever have imagined or understood.

Jesus responds to Peter with the confirmation that, “flesh and blood have not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.” Flesh and blood being noted here – a revelation not of human origin, but divine. The Father has put this in his heart and Peter has been moved without hesitation to proclaim it aloud. Jesus, for his part recognizes this and declares that Simon, bar Jonah is now ‘Petros’ in Latin or ‘Cephas’ in the Greek form of the Aramaic, not a name found before this era, but simply a noun, “Rock”, upon which the ‘ekklesia’, translated here as Church or as seen in the Hebrew Scriptures as ‘assembly’ or ‘congregation’ of God’s people.

The image of the rock has another connotation connected to the next statement by Jesus about the keys to the Kingdom and the gates of the netherworld. The gates of the netherworld were seen as the entrance to Sheol. In Hebraic theology this was a place of darkness and nothingness. A joyless world where the dead dwelt. To some Jews there was a belief that the foundation stone of the Temple capped off the entrance to Sheol. Jesus assigns to Simon his new name of Peter, making reference to him being this new foundation stone for his Church which nothing created or uncreated can prevail against. He rounds out the image with the giving of Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. In the monarchical system the most important person in the Kingdom after the King was the chief steward. He held the keys. The allusion to binding and loosening has its roots in Isaiah 22, where the prophet announces the passing of the keys to the kingdom will  be handed on from one steward to another and, what the new steward shuts, will be shut and what he opens will be opened and no one shall prevail against him. Peter is the new steward in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Why would this have been such a mind-blowing revelation for Peter to pronounce? After all, Jesus has performed one great miracle after another. He has controlled nature, he has multiplied fishes and loaves and fed thousands, he has walked on water! What else did the disciples need? It may seem that it is clear to you and I, and should be obvious to others, but then for those of us of faith who have heard these scriptures a hundred times, this is obvious. We already have faith in Jesus.

Try to picture for a moment, that you are one of the disciples. Jesus’ is your friend, your Rabbi, your Master, and you his disciple. Nowhere in the Hebrew religion is there any direct indication of who the Messiah will be and what his relationship to God will be. As with former Kings and prophets there was a sense of sonship, but one where God ‘adopts’ that person when they are chosen and anointed. Nowhere is there a direct indication that the God and creator of all things would come himself and be born into time. Who Jesus is, is a mystery for them. He is obviously set apart and chosen by God, and the works he performs are like nothing seen before. So, a prophet definitely, but the actual presence of the eternal God incarnate? I’m not sure even Peter really understands completely what the Holy Spirit has revealed to him. It is clear that they will come to understand this in a greater way as the story of Jesus continues to unfold and crystalize finally when after suffering the most gruesome death, he is raised. They will struggle and doubt, but the revelation will be made clear, and the Holy Spirit will empower them to proclaim his name and Peter will lead them on their way.

If we proclaim that Jesus is truly the Son of God and truly believe that, then it has to have repercussions in our lives affecting how we live and relate to him and others. Calling Jesus ‘Lord’ has consequences, but do we live them? Today I invite you to think about how your faith in Jesus guides your life and if you declare your faith in him as God’s only Son, then you must live the revelation as well.

Peace,

Fr. Steve