My Sisters and Brothers:
In today’s Gospel (see Matthew 16:13-20), Jesus asked his disciples the following questions: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” and “Who do you say I am?” After reporting who others thought he might be (i.e., “John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets”), Simon Peter, speaking for all of the Apostles, answered the second question by emphatically stating: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Because of this profession of faith, Jesus told Peter “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah . . . flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father . . . You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church . . . I 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.”
It’s interesting to me that Jesus’ affirmation of Peter is juxtaposed today against the narrative found in our first reading in which we heard Shebna, master of the palace, was thrust from his office, pulled down from his station and replaced by Eliakim, who was clothed with Shebna’s robes, girded with his sash and given his authority; the key of the House of David was also placed on Eliakim’s shoulder (cf. Isaiah 22:19-23). Matthew’s original Jewish audience, who heard about the affirmation of Peter, and who most surely knew the story of Shebna, would have completely understood the not-so-subtle condemnation of the Pharisees it contained, and which was clearly intended by Jesus. After all, shouldn’t the “religious leaders” of Jesus’ time have rightly inherited “the keys to the Kingdom” otherwise given to Peter? I believe this is a very significant detail contained within this so-called “rock dialogue.” And so, as had happened to Shebna of the Old Testament, the Pharisees were thrust from their positions of power and were replaced by others; Peter and the twelve Apostles therefore became the new leaders of God’s people. The Pharisees had abused their power and they had failed, and so they were subsequently denied the power of the Keys to the House of David and to the Kingdom of God. Unlike the Apostles, and because of their blindness and stubbornness, the high and mighty Pharisees had not been capable of recognizing whom Jesus was, that is “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And so their authority was instead given to those simple fishermen from Galilee. Let’s just think about that!
As I see it, a greater part of the actions and statements of Jesus during his “public ministry” were in conflict with the “religious leaders” of the day. Truly it was a struggle between “good” and “evil.” Even in our own time, isn’t it true we’ve been made aware of unfortunate connections between “religious authority” and the “abuse of power?” We only need to think of recent scandals in our church that have damaged lives, shattered people’s faith, and have ripped apart congregations and communities. I think there’s some kind of parallel between the failures of some of our contemporary “religious leaders” and those of the Pharisees. In both cases, those who had authority utterly failed in their responsibilities as God’s ministers to his people. Consequently, such “leaders” deserved to be “thrust from their offices, pulled down from their stations and replaced as stewards of the Keys to the House of David and to the Kingdom of God.”
And so, perhaps the “rock dialogue” might well serve as a warning to the “religious leaders” of our own time, and by extension, as an admonition to those who might want to follow them “blindly.” As a result of their moral inferiority, the Pharisees were incapable of recognizing Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” As such, they completely failed to understand his message, and the radical new way of faith he advanced. Consequently, they couldn’t fulfill God’s will and/or be instruments of salvation for his people; they led them astray and so had to be replaced! This is why Jesus entrusted Simon Peter, a simple fishermen, and yet a man of great and unblemished faith, with the authority to lead God’s people. Let’s pray that our leaders, and especially our Holy Father Francis, always remain faithful in their responsibility to recognize “Jesus as the Christ, and the Son of the living God!” Let’s also pray they’re always faithful stewards of “the Keys to the Kingdom!” Amen!
Praise God! Friar Timothy
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