The appointment of a new leader, be it locally, nationally or internationally creates a great deal of interest and discussion. No doubt, When I became your vicar there were many questions about who I was, where I had come from, and what I was like? Our first reading this morning from the prophet Isaiah is about a change in the appointment of a royal steward. God’s will is that Eliakim is given the power to control the royal palace, because he is someone who can be relied upon and trusted. At a deeper level the prophecy anticipates our Gospel reading.
And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. (Isa 22:22)
These words look forward to Our Lord’s promise to St Peter. They remind us that God keeps His promises, and also that we can trust what we read and hear in Scripture.
One of the most important questions in the entire Bible is found in this morning’s Gospel: who do you say that Jesus is? How we answer this question can tell us a lot about our faith. Our answer matters, and is central to who and what we are as Christians.
Jesus and his disciples have ventured into the District of Caesarea Philippi, an area about 25 miles northeast of the Sea of Galilee. The region had tremendous religious implications, as the place was littered with the temples of the Syrian gods. Here was the elaborate marble temple that had been erected by Herod the Great, father of the then-ruling Herod Antipas. This was a place where people worshipped the Roman Emperor as a god and the son of a God. You might say that the world religions were on display in this town. Significantly, it was with this scene in the background that Jesus chose to ask the most crucial questions of his ministry.
Jesus looked at his disciples and in a moment of reflection enquired: “Who do people say that I am?” The disciples reply by sharing with Jesus what they have heard from those who have been following Jesus: Some say that you are Elijah; others say John the Baptist, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. It has always been this way. Jesus has been, and is, seen by people in so many different ways. But Jesus then asks his disciples, ‘But who do YOU say that I am?’ (Mt 16:15) Peter answers: ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God’ (Mt 16:16) This is a big claim to make. Stating that Jesus is divine was certainly problematic, as it undermined both what Jews thought about religion, and also the claims made by Romans about the divinity of the Emperor. It is a very radical thing to say, that Jesus is the Anointed One, the Hope of Israel, who fulfils the promises in the Prophets.
Nowadays you can speak of Jesus as a prophet, a holy man, a teacher, or a spiritual leader, and few people will object. But speak of Him as Son of God, Divine, of the same nature as the Father, and people will line up to express their disapproval. This is not a new phenomenon. The history of the Church is full of people who have disagreed on matters of doctrine. This is reason why the Church repeats the words of the Nicene Creed week by week. It is to remind us of what we believe. As Christians, we stand up and make a public declaration of our faith. And we will do this again in a few minutes as part of our worship. To do this would once have led to our death at the hands of the state, and still does in some parts of the world today. Nonetheless, we believe that the Nature and Person of the Son of God (who and what Jesus is and does), is an important thing; it is central to our faith.
As a result of Peter’s confession of faith Jesus makes the following promise:
“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Mt 16:17-19)
Jesus gives Simon a new name, Peter, which means the rock. He is to be the rock upon which Christ will build His Church. We know from the Gospel that a wise man builds his house on rock not sand (Mt 7:24-27). The Church is built upon Peter because he confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. Our profession of faith publicly confirms that we are Christians. Because of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection, sin, death and Hell no longer rule over humanity. Christ has conquered, and His victory is complete. Peter is then given the power to bind or loose, which is in effect the power to forgive sin, through Jesus’ Death and Resurrection. The Church exists to bring people closer to God and to create in the world a kingdom of peace and reconciliation to heal the wounds of hatred and sin. The role of the Church is also to make humanity holy, through all that Christ has done for us. Christians are then called to share this with others in order to transform the world into the Kingdom of Peace. This is what God wills for our good and our flourishing. This is the radical and transformative vision which begins with our acknowledgement of sin, admitting that we have fallen short, and that we cannot sort things out by ourselves alone. Only God can do this, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, He has. God longs to heal our wounds because that is what the Kingdom is based upon: healing, reconciliation, and transformation. This is what takes an enemy of the Church, Saul, a man who zealously sought to destroy the Church, and makes him its most ardent advocate.
Thus, St Paul came to write to the Church in Rome:
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways!” (Rom 11:33)
Paul knows this to be a reality because he can testify to the transforming power of God’s love. It is beyond words. It is beyond human understanding. This is because His love is a gift which asks for nothing in return. There is nothing we can give God. But we can live out the values of His Kingdom which enable us to flourish as men and women. We will often backslide, just like St Peter, yet God’s love and mercy are always greater than our failings. We keep making mistakes, but God’s love is not conditional, we cannot earn it, as it is freely offered to transform us day by day. Our faith is the work of a lifetime. Each day God’s grace can steadily perfect our nature, if we are humble enough to let Our Creator and Sustainer be at work in us.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters in Christ, may God’s grace continue to transform us so that, in this life and the next, we and all creation may give glory to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, Duw Dad, Duw y Mab, a Duw yr Ysbryd Glân. To whom be ascribed all glory, dominion, and power, now and forever. Amen.
Novus Motus Oxoniensis 