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Gospel: Matthew 16: 13-20
Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Then he strictly ordered his disciples
to tell no one that he was the Christ.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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What is the entrance into heaven like?
Is it like the DMV, where you have to stand in line, take a number, then wait for what seems to be an eternity before your name is called? Is there a large support staff doing most of the vetting, with each person seated behind a protective window?
Or is Saint Peter standing there all by himself with reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose, a name tag clipped to his robe, with a clipboard, a pen, and paper in hand? Maybe he’s technologically savvy and he uses an iPad.
If today’s Gospel is any indication, then it is Saint Peter standing at the entrance of those pearly gates. And dangling by a large gold chain tethered around his waist are the keys to God’s home.
“I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven,” Jesus promises him in today’s Gospel.
What on earth did Peter do to deserve such an honor? Is it fair to have him being the one doing roll call, telling us to take a number, asking each of us to render an account of our lives before being either admitted or denied access to heaven?
It seems fair to me. Peter understands people like us. He also remembers where this whole thing started.
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Jesus has just led his disciples to the region of Caesarea Phillipi, the northernmost place they will travel during his ministry, more than 100 miles away from Jerusalem, giving them a reprieve from the crowds and the jealous eyes of the religious authorities.
Knowing that his days on earth are numbered, there’s one significant, pressing issue which Jesus must resolve before his death. Is there anyone, anyone, who understands him? Or has all of this been for nothing?
So, he holds an impromptu staff meeting.
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” he questions his disciples.
“Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” I’m sure the disciples were all hoping that the Lord would answer affirmatively to one of them – A, B, C, or D.
But, in typical fashion, the Lord presses them further. “But who do you say that I am?”
I imagine many of them lowered their eyes to the ground. They shuffled their feet, put their hands in their pockets, coughed, sighed, whistled, puckered their lips, or started counting sheep in their head. One, two three…
Anything to endure the uncomfortable silence. Suddenly Peter pipes up, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!”
Ding! Ding! Ding!
It must’ve felt like an answer thrown out of left field. “Where did he get that?” the others must’ve wondered.
“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah,” Jesus says. “For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.”
Here’s the key, as it were.
Peter did not come up with the correct answer on his own; the answer was given to him by our heavenly Father. Much like Mary, who became the Mother of God, Peter didn’t earn his role; he was simply chosen.
Chosen, not only to be the rock of the Church, but also to be the bearer of the keys to the kingdom.
So, why is this such a good thing?
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Peter understands people like us.
The same Peter who gets it right today will receive the sternest rebuke possible just a few verses after when Jesus calls him, “Satan.”
The same Peter who calls Jesus “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” also sank into the stormy Sea of Galilee, drenched in fear and doubt.
He also questioned Jesus when caught in another storm, “Lord, do you not care that we are drowning?”
Peter then made what Mary Poppins called “pie crust promises,” easy to make, easy to break. “Though all may have their faith in you shaken,” he says on the night of the Last Supper, “mine will never be!”
Shortly thereafter, he falls asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane and denies Jesus three times when he wakes up.
Peter may bear the keys to the kingdom, but he also doubted, struggled, and failed as we sometimes do. But his saving grace comes with how his life ended.
Thirty years after being appointed the “rock” of the Church, Peter died like Jesus – nailed to a cross. The only difference being that Peter died upside down at his own request, not feeling worthy of dying like his Lord.
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That’s the one standing guard at the pearly gates, taking roll call. A man with crucified hands and feet, who knows what it is to fail – and, more importantly, to be redeemed.
May Peter pray for us that we, too, would live the faith we profess, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!”
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Image credits: (1) Shays Holistics (2) Lynch, Toonpool (3) Christ Giving the Keys to Saint Peter, Rubens