Readings - http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/082111.cfm
We are coming to the end of a summer where we have been treated by a series of remarkable Gospel Readings in which we were first treated to Jesus’ manner of teaching by a series of simple/gentle pastoral parables, then to a couple of Jesus’ best known miracle stories – the multiplication of the loaves and Jesus walking on the water. And we’re approaching an “end of the summer” decision time. In today’s Gospel Jesus asks his disciples, who would have seen and heard all of this “Who do you say that I am?”
Note though that already last week, we heard a Canaanite woman profess her faith in Jesus. So Peter’s profession of faith would not have been the first, though it would, of course, be very important.
My sense is that the Gospel writers’ (in this case Matthew) placed the Profession of Faith of the Canaanite woman before that of St. Peter’s to keep us all off balance and humble. Indeed, it is a recurrent theme throughout the Gospels that those who should have known better did not, and those who were at the edges, who no one expected anything of, or even considered worth consideration were the one’s who understood Jesus and the promise of his Gospel the best.
So the Canaanite woman, three times marginalized – a woman, a Canaanite and non-Jewish – beats the apostles to the punch in proclaiming her faith in Jesus and bestowing on him the messianic title “Son of David.”
Today we hear Jesus asking his disciples first “Who do people say that I am?” and then, more pointedly, “Who do _you_ say that I am?”
And the person who speaks up is the future St. Peter.
Now Simon Peter is an interesting choice as well. There were probably smarter Apostles (Judas is said to have “kept the books” for Jesus and the apostles). There were probably richer Apostles (James and John, the sons of Zebedee who seemed to be important as well as Matthew himself, who presents himself in this Gospel as having been a tax collector). Instead it is Simon (Peter) who speaks up.
And Jesus blesses him for this, saying that “[Simon] is Rock (Petras) and on this Rock Jesus will build his church and the gates of Hell will not prevail over it.” For this _one_ taking of initiative, taking of a risk, Jesus blesses Simon Peter, St. Peter forever. Remarkable.
Yet the Bible is full of examples where God blesses who take risks – from Abraham, who at 75 (!) God invites to leave his country and go to a land which he will show him; to Jacob, whose whole life was one of risk taking (in order to survive); to Moses, who on seeing injustice for the first time in his life (at 40) admittedly “lashed out,” suffered grievously for it (had to flee to exile in the desert, but who at 80 (!) God called back to “finish the job;” to Joshua, who was one of the only ones who Moses had sent into the Promised Land to survey it, and was not afraid to advise going to take it (the other spies that Moses had sent there came back with stories of doom. Joshua along with Caleb, the only other spy to have confidence in God, were the only two of their entire generation that God allowed to enter into the promised land); to David whose instant of bravery in taking on the chellenge of the giant Goliath, God famously rewarded; to finally Solomon who also God blessed when at a young age, Solomon, who could have asked God for anything, asked God for wisdom (so that to this day, we remember Solomon to be wise). All these are examples of God blessing those who took risks, who were _not_ “afraid.”
Indeed, those who God cursed (Adam and Eve hiding in the Garden after their first sin, the Israelites who initially _were afraid_ of entering into the Promised Land despite Joshua and Caleb’s advisement that despite the challenges they could take it even in their generation) were those who _chose_ to “be afraid.”
Indeed, Jesus repeatedly told his disciples, indeed often greeted his disciples with the admonition “be not afraid.” So noteworthy of Jesus’ style was this that we have a famous hymn now for the last 30-40 years entitled “Be Not Afraid” and Pope John Paul II (now Blessed Pope John Paul II) wrote an entire book entitled “Be Not Afraid.”
So this Sunday, having heard all that great teaching of Jesus over the past weeks, having recounted again of some Jesus’ more famous miracles and having heard in the these last two weeks of two Professions of Faith made by people in Jesus’ time – that by the Canaanite woman and now St. Peter – we’re asked to “step up”
Who do we say that Jesus is? And how can we put that faith _bravely_ into action?
Remembering that God does bless us when we do step out of ourselves and take a risk in his name.
Amen.
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