Proper 16 (21) (Year A)
Matthew 16.13-20 (CEB[1]; adapted):
14They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
15He said, “And what about you? Who do you say that I am?”
16Simon Peter said, “You’re the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17Then Jesus replied, “Happy are you, Simon son of Jonah, because no human has shown this to you. Rather my Abba who’s in heaven has shown you. 18I tell you that you are Peter.
And I’ll build my assembly on this rock. The gates of Hades won’t be able to stand against it. 19I’ll give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Anything you fasten on earth will be fastened in heaven. Anything you loosen on earth will be loosened in heaven.” 20Then he ordered the disciples not to tell anybody that he was the Messiah.
Other readings: Exodus 1.8-2.10; Psalm 124; Romans 12.1-8
Gathering Prayer:
All-Loving and everlasting God, by your Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified; hear the prayer we offer for all people, that in the ministry to which you’ve called us we may serve you in holiness and truth; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus the Christ. Amen.
New Zealand Prayer Book (adapted)
Recently I saw a poll asking about this passage. The poll asked if the Church was built on Peter or the Apostolic Faith or both. “Other” was also an option with a chance to explain why you chose it.
I chose “Other.”
This question has been a discussion (“debate” would be a better term) for a long, long time. For example, at the Synod of Whitby in 664CE — the debate between the Celtic expression and Roman expression over establishing universal practices and bringing unity to the congregations — the Roman side used this passage as one of its foundational points. When King Oswiu, who presided over the debate, asked both sides if they agreed that Christ said he would establish the church on Peter “the rock,” they both agreed. King Oswiu made his decision in favor of the Roman expression and the rest, as they say, is history.[2]
This example brings up the very heart of this passage. Did Christ mean that Peter was the foundation of the church or was he talking about something else? For many people, the answer is a resounding, “Yes!” People come to this conclusion because Jesus changed Simon’s name to “Peter.” In Greek, Peter is Πέτρος (Petros) and it means, “a stone (pebble), such as a small rock found along a pathway.” And right after he changed his name, Jesus said, “On this rock I will build my assembly.” But here’s the difference — the word Jesus used for “rock” is πέτρα (petra) and it means, “a huge mass of rock (a boulder), such as a projecting cliff.” The HELPS Word-studies shows the difference even more:
4073 (petra) is “a projecting rock, cliff (feminine noun) … 4074 (petros, the masculine form) however is a stone … such as a [person] might throw” (S. Zodhiates, Dict).
We see, then, that there’s a difference here. Jesus said Simon is a “pebble” or “stone” while he’d build the assembly on a “boulder.” So Simon is not the “rock” upon which Jesus built the assembly. Furthermore, the New Testament makes it clear that Jesus is the foundation (1 Corinthians 3.11; cf., 10.4), not Peter.
So, again, upon what “boulder” did Jesus build his assembly?
The other option in the question I mentioned above was the Apostolic Faith. And while that’s a little closer to where we’re going, I think it goes too far. One could look to the Nicene Creed[3] for a good understanding of the Apostolic Faith, but I believe St. Paul summed it up quite well in 1 Corinthians 15.3-4, “Christ died for our sins in line with the scriptures, he was buried, and he rose on the third day in line with the scriptures.” But none of that — much less the contents of the Creed — is found in Jesus’ conversation with the disciples in Matthew 16.13-20.
So you can see why I chose “Other.”
If it’s neither Peter nor the Apostolic Faith, upon what did Jesus build the assembly?
The “boulder” is that Jesus is the Messiah.
As Jesus said to Peter, he didn’t get that answer “out of books or from teachers” (MSG).[4] That answer came from God — “My Abba in heaven … let you in on this secret of who I really am” (MSG). That understanding that Jesus is the Messiah — the foundation of the new thing God is doing in the world — is the bedrock of the people who follow The Way of Jesus. It’s the very reason they’re called people of The Way (Acts 9.2).[5]
We see that this is the true “rock” upon which Jesus would build his assembly because of the very last sentence — “Then he ordered the disciples not to tell anybody that he was the Messiah” (verse 29). That’s the whole point. Jesus is the Messiah. The one through whom God would usher in the “final” age — the Realm of God — “on earth as in heaven.” This has nothing to do with Peter but with Peter’s answer.
It’s at this point that some will then turn to the question, “Who do you say that Jesus is?” in an evangelical attempt to “save another soul” for the Realm of God. And while there’s nothing wrong with that per se, it’s often done a lot of damage to the people it’s trying to “save.”
What I mean by that is, more often than not, when people ask that question they’re more concerned with checking off an item on their “spiritual list” than they are about the needs of the whole person they’re trying to save. A saying I heard many years ago summed up this mentality perfectly — “So heavenly minded they’re no earthly good.”
If we want to understand who Jesus is, we have to acknowledge that Jesus was interested in the whole person — their physical needs as well as their spiritual ones. Sure, he spoke about the Realm of God more than any other subject — of course, that’s what he was birthing into the world. But at the same time he showed us what the Realm was supposed to look like, to be like.
Jesus was concerned about the people who had become outcasts of society, bringing them back to the table, and giving them the seats of honor. He was concerned with stripping the power from the political and religious communities — exposing their own corruption — by emphasising that the tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners would be entering into God’s new age before they would (Matthew 21.28-32); that “those who are last will be first, and those who are first will be last” (Matthew 20.16).
Jesus’ life and stories about this new Way of being provoked the imagination of the middle and lower classes while they disturbed the power structures of the ruling class in both religious and political arenas. To paraphrase the famous (mis)quote of Finley Peter Dunne (through the voice of his character, Mr. Dooley, an Irish bartender), Jesus’ stories and examples, “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”
Following The Way of Jesus, then, is more than just acknowledging Jesus is the Messiah so we can “go to heaven when we die” and leave this “miserable world” behind. If that’s our only concern then we’ve missed what The Way of Jesus is all about. It’s about looking at his whole life and reflecting that life right now in the world. The Messiah was to usher in God’s final age in the world — not apart from it. Jesus said, “Time’s up! God’s kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Good News” (Mark 1.15; MSG; emphasis added).
When we ask (or are asked) “Who do you say Jesus is?” we have to look at his whole life. We have to recognize what he was about. He was about birthing God’s Realm in the world through his actions and stories. Following The Way of Jesus, then, is about serving others. It’s about striving for the freedom and dignity of all creation. It’s about equality and justice in all aspects of life. Not some time in the future but right now.
So, we who claim to be followers of The Way of Jesus — what are we doing to mirror that revelation of Jesus? What steps are we taking to bring the marginalized to the table? Who are we placing in the seats of honor? Are we voting for the people and policies that are uniting us and bringing about justice and equality? What about our workplaces? What are the things we can do that would make our businesses more equal and fair for everyone? What other questions (and responses!) do you have that would initiate action to spread God’s Realm in all areas of life right now?
~~~
In the Love of the Three in One,
Br Jack+, LC
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[1] Scripture quotations marked (CEB) are taken from The Common English Bible. Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible.
[2] While this might have been the “official” end of the Celtic expression of the Christian tradition, it didn’t die out and is still flouring today. For some current examples, see the Northumbria Community, The Community of Aidan and Hilda, the Celtic Christain Church, and the Lindisfarne Community.
[3] I linked to the version used by the Orthodox tradition. If you would prefer the Apostles’ Creed or the common version of the Nicene Creed, see here.
[4] Scripture quotations marked (MSG) are taken from The Message, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
[5] See also: Acts 19.9, 23; 22.4; 24.14, 22
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