Founded on rock and rubble

 

Reflection Matthew 16: 13 – 20 23^rd August 2020

 

Those of us who are parents will perhaps remember being nervous when we gave our children the keys of the car for the first time and allowed them to drive for the first time on their own. No longer will someone supervise them. What will they do? Will they be safe? Will they drive too fast? Do they have the maturity to handle the responsibility?

In the passage we are going to think about, Jesus gives Peter “the keys of the kingdom”. Different parts of the Church universal interpret this in different ways. The Roman Catholic church of course see this phrase as the basis of the start of the Popes and hence papal authority and all that means. Whilst Protestants may not affirm this interpretation, we can agree that the authority Jesus gives Peter. What does this mean?

Why has Jesus given the keys to Peter? Will he act responsibly? Has he got the maturity? If we look at Peter’s track record before this point it does not inspire confidence. Peter constantly misses the point and talks before he thinks. And a few verses later (verse 23) Jesus calls him “Satan” for setting his mind on human things not divine things. Then of course in Matthew 26: 69 – 75 where Peter denies Jesus three times.

Jesus? You’re really going to entrust the building of the Church, the body of Christ to this man? Why?

Back at the start of this passage Jesus asks the disciples the question “Who do people say that Son of Man is?” (The Son of Man being a description Jesus uses over 80 times to describe himself and who he is, in the Gospels.) The disciples reply “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, other Jeremiah or one of the prophets” verse 14. This suggests that the Jewish people tended to base their faith on different emphasises. Sound familiar? Why else in the Protestant church do we have some many denominations? Because the founders of the domination have interpreted Jesus in slightly different ways.

However, in verse 15 Jesus makes the question to his disciples more pointed. “Who do you say that I am?” verse 15. We can imagine the stunned silence, the looking away not to catch Jesus’, the teacher’s, eye. Eventually, inevitably, Simon Son of Jonah speaks up

“You are the Messiah, the Son of God” vese16

Jesus responds:

¹⁷ , ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven

And of course

¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter,^[b] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades^[c] will not overcome it.

We might assume that Peter has gained a serious promotion because of this. But unlike an earthly promotion based (usually) on a person’s skills and abilities, Peter is “promoted” for other reasons. Peter is promoted for his testimony. It is as if Peter is saying:

“What I have experienced with you Jesus is that means that I know you are the Messiah, the one who has been sent to us as a gateway into the kingdom of God.”

(As an aside, it is worth remembering the meaning of “Peter”. Peter means “stone” or “rock”. Cepha in Aramaic; Petros in Greek. In the Christian church it has become a name in its own right. But we miss the point. Jesus is giving Peter a nickname. Prior to Jesus there was no such name. Jesus is saying “I’m nicknaming you ‘Rock’. You are Rock and, on this rock, I build my church.”)

As I’ve mentioned, historically the Roman Catholic Church has claimed the foundation of the church on Peter the original bishop. There has been a succession since. And it must be said that although Protestant churches tend not to hold Peter in the same way, there is nevertheless a sense of succession for preachers and ministers.

But the Church is not founded on Peter, just as it is not founded on John the Baptist or Elijah, or Martin Luther, John Calvin, or John Wesley. The foundation rock is not Peter the Rock; the foundation of the Church – the body of Christ – is Peter’s testimony. The rock on which we build out faith is Peter’s recognition that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ.

The Church, our own faith, rests on the questions Jesus puts to us all

“Who do you say that I am? What is your experience of me in your life? What is your testimony? What is your experience of the living God through my witness and presence in your life?”

“Who do you say that I am?” is the rock on which the Church, our own faith, is built. This is what gave Peter the permission to drive the car! This is what allows us to be Jesus’ witnesses. He knows we will not be perfect. He knows we will make mistakes. He knows we will be sinful. But nonetheless we are given the keys of the kingdom.

“Who do you say that I am?” is a question posed to all people who claim to followers of Jesus.

We may feel that we can’t possibly be “rocks”. We are weak. We are flawed. But it is in our weakness that Christ’s strength become apparent. A point Paul makes:

⁹ But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12: 9 - 10

I have never been renowned for my DIY skills but what I lack in practical skills I make up for with theory. Therefore, I know that a structure needs good foundations. And often in building the foundation of a wall for example, or laying a patio, it is good to use rubble. Broken bits of brick and stone. On their own they are nothing but when combined with cement they form a firm foundation. On our own we may think of ourselves as broken useless stones. But as part of a community, combined with the cement of Christ binding us together, all things are possible.