SCRIPTURE READINGS TODAY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2013, ARE FROM: Numbers 20:1-13; Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9; Matthew 16:13-23 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. From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you”. He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do”. (Matthew 16:13-23) REFLECTION ON HE IS LORD He is Lord Consider the great personages of human history and ask yourself, whose claims are the most arresting and who, more than anyone in history, must each person make a decision over? There are some who have dominated the stage in a political, military, economic or literary sense and yet about whose identity there is no issue or question. Take Alexander the Great, or Julius Caesar, or Aristotle, or any one of a number of great figures of the past, and of course they have come and gone. They do not claim the loyalty of our hearts and there is no discussion as to their ultimate personal authority. The case is somewhat different with certain outstanding religious figures who have initiated entire religions. A religion necessarily commands the soul of its adherent. Consider Zoroaster, or Buddha, or Confucius, or Mahomet, and many other founders of religious traditions and movements who have lived since them. Their persons live on the memory of their adherents and in their teachings and legacies. They command the allegiance of the hearts of their followers who choose to shape their lives according to their doctrines and example. But who is there among this select category of persons in human history whose claims transcend all others, and the quality of whose life no one can dismiss? The one that stands out is Jesus Christ. Mahomet made claims to a unique revelation — although to many observers it appears clear that his religious experiences were interpreted, to a point, by drawing on elements of Christian and especially Jewish revelation. Islam claims for Mahomet the status of greatest of prophets, but — incidentally — was that Mahomet’s own claim, or that of those who followed him? Whatever of that aside, the claims of Jesus Christ transcend all others as does the moral stature of his Person. His figure, as presented by those who witnessed him and as presented by the great Tradition about him, is the most arresting of all. It all means at least this that, if one professes to seek the truth, one must turn to consider the Person of Jesus Christ. Ponder on the Gospel passage of today in which our Lord directly asks the question which, because of his own greatness, may be asked in any generation. “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” This question cries out for an answer because one’s whole life is at stake in it, as is the life of nations. We can ask the same question of the greatest of philosophers, writers, economists, statesmen and military commanders and the answer is given as to his identity without more ado. Not so with Jesus Christ. Who do people say the Son of Man is? The disciples give our Lord various answers that can be expected of any era: basically that he is a great religious teacher and leader, one who is in touch with God and who gives God’s word to mankind. In a word, that he is a true and great prophet. Plenty of persons before him laid successful claim to being a prophet, but for Christ this was in no way the answer to his question. “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” (Matthew 16:13‑23). Christ claimed to be the promised Messiah and the very Son of the living God. He came bearing in his own person the kingdom of heaven which is God’s lordship over men. As we read in the Gospel text, he now moves to establish his Church on a visible rock as the means for all to attain entry into this divine kingdom. Simon is that rock and to him Christ gives the keys to this kingdom. Everything is at stake here. All this means that every person must take seriously the Person of Jesus Christ, for his claims are utterly unique and carry enormous ramifications. By implication each must take seriously the Kingdom he claimed to establish here on earth, the Church he built as the means to access this Kingdom, and the one rock on whom Christ built his Church and to whom he gave the keys. Our Gospel passage of today is such that the Person of Christ cannot be taken casually. Everything hinges around and on him. If Christ’s claims are untrue, he must be a knave or a fool. But who could possibly say this? Let us place ourselves in the company of the living risen Jesus to whom all authority in heaven and on earth has been given. He is Lord of lords and King of kings. His empire will never be destroyed. Each of us can say with Thomas after the resurrection that he is “my Lord and my God”. There is no one like him and as St Paul writes, in him is to be found every heavenly blessing. Let us then cast our whole lot with him and allow nothing to lead us from him. (E.J.Tyler)
Posted on: Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:32:51 +0000
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