Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven

 

 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"  So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

 

- Matthew 16:13-20 

 

Yesterday we read that the Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.  He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.'  Hypocrites!  You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.  A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah."  And He left them and departed.  Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.  Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?  Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?  Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?  How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? -- but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

 

 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"  So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."  My study Bible comments on today's entire passage that Christ's question, "Who do you say that I am?" is the greatest question that a person can ever face.  This is precisely because it is the question that defines Christianity.  Peter's correct answer to the question prevents the Christian faith from being seen or known as simply another philosophical system or path of spirituality.  This is because Jesus is the one and only Son of the living God.  Such a position excludes all compromise with other religious systems.  As Jesus indicates in His response to St. Peter here, St. Peter's understanding could not be achieved by human reason, but only by divine revelation through faith (see 1 Corinthians 12:3).  My study Bible points out that Christ means "Anointed One," the equivalent of the Hebrew title "Messiah."  It also asks us to note that Christ first draws out mistaken opinions about Himself.  He does this to identify incorrect ideas, as a person is better prepared to avoid false teachings when they are clearly identified.

 

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."  My study Bible explains that Peter/rock is a play on the word for "rock" in both Aramaic and Greek (petros/petra).  This rock does not refer to St. Peter per se, but rather to "the faith of his confession" according to St. John Chrysostom.  The true Rock, my study Bible tells us, is Christ Himself (and so says St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:4), and the whole of the Church is built on the faithful confession of Christ.  The gates of Hades are the powers of death.  In the Old Testament, my study Bible says, "gates" suggest a fortified city (Genesis 22:17, 24:60; Isaiah 14:31).  By shattering its gates, Christ has opened the stronghold of death to set free the souls of the righteous.  So therefore, the Church also shall not be stopped in her proclamation of salvation.  Moreover, my study Bible tells us that the term church is mentioned only twice in all the gospels, here and in Matthew 18:17.  This Church is the true Israel and the Body of Christ; her citizenship is heavenly.  

 

"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.  My study Bible says that the keys of the kingdom is a reference to a special authority that will be given both to Peter and the other apostles after the Resurrection (see Matthew 18:18; John 20:23).  St. Peter was not a leader over the others, but rather among them.  This truth was confirmed at the Council of Jerusalem (see Acts 15) where the apostles and presbyters met as equals, and where St. Peter advised, but St. James presided.  This is the New Testament witness concerning St. Peter -- his role should neither be expanded, nor should it be diminished in opposition to such claims.  My study Bible also notes for us that binding and loosing is a reference primarily "to absolve sins," according to St. John Chrysostom (see John 20:23).  But it includes all the teaching, sacramental, and administrative authority of the apostles.  This authority was in turn transmitted to the bishops of the Church, and it continues in effect to this day.

 

There is a kind of dual impact of the information revealed in today's reading.  There is first of all the authority which Jesus confers to His apostles, and particularly through St. Peter, who was known as "first among equals" in the continuing spirit of conciliarity which guides the Church and is its aim.  But there is also the powerful, extraordinary understanding that Jesus is the Christ -- and that "flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."  Let us remember that when Jesus will speak to the apostles of the sending of the Helper, the Holy Spirit,  He tells them that the Holy Spirit will be sent from the Father, and through Christ's prayers (see John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7).  This is very important, because it truly teaches us that Christ's life, death, Resurrection, and Ascension has the effect of bringing humanity into deeper communion not only with Christ, but also the Father and the Holy Spirit.  For if the Father -- as Jesus says in today's passage -- is working in St. Peter to effect this revelation, then how much more is promised through the fullness of the effects of Christ's mission to us as Incarnate Jesus and His completion of that mission in Resurrection and Ascension?  We really cannot estimate the fullness of what this means, and the fruits it will bear, has borne, and will continue to bear in our lives and in our world.  We simply don't know how to calculate what God does among us, and what God will do.  But we can look around ourselves and see what that has meant, even if we can't know its fullness.  See, for example, the work of the secular historian and award-winning author Tom Holland, titled Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, in which he examines the effect of Christ upon our world through the present day.  Moreover, this "remaking" of the world is ongoing, continuing not only through the present time but through the future we don't yet know.  We are assured of this in Revelation 21:15, in which "He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.'"  The English translation does not completely capture the meaning of the Greek, in which the word "make" is in a continuing present tense, better translated as "I am always making all things new."  For this is the reality of the Church and the fullness of Christ and Christ's ongoing work in our world, and we simply cannot know all that this entails, including all the possible dimensions it might indicate of which we are unaware.  But we can know the graciousness and love of God for the world and for us human beings, for so God has granted to us this enormous, inestimable gift of salvation, to be with God in the fullness of eternal life and what that might entail for us and for our world.  Let us marvel at this extraordinary gift, coming to us through St. Peter's confession on behalf of all of the apostles, and indeed of all of us, and through the revelation of our Father who is in heaven, as Jesus says. There is no greater honor nor gift in potential for all of us.  Let us truly place the value of this blessed treasure as is appropriate to is, for taken in this perspective, our faith is everything.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven

 

 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"  So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. 

 

- Matthew 16:13-20 

 

Yesterday we read that the Pharisees and Sadducees came to Christ, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.  He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.'  Hypocrites!  You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.  A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah."  And He left them and departed.  Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.  Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?  Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?  Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?  How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? -- but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  Then they understood that He did not tell the to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.   

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"  So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."  My study Bible comments that Christ's question, "Who do you say that I am?" is the greatest question a person can ever face, because this is the question that defines Christianity.  Peter answers correctly, and his answer prevents the Christian faith from being seen as simply another philosophical system or a path of spirituality, because it names Jesus as the one and only Son of the living God.  This is a position, my study Bible explains, which excludes all compromise with other religious systems.  This understanding on the part of Peter cannot be achieved by human reason, but only by divine revelation through faith (1 Corinthians 12:3).  Christ means "Anointed One," and is equivalent to the Hebrew title "Messiah."  My study Bible also notes that Christ first draws out erroneous opinions about Himself.  This is done in order to identify these incorrect ideas, as a person is better prepared to avoid false teachings when they are clearly identified.

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."   Peter/rock is a play on the word for "rock" in both Aramaic and Greek (petros/petra), my study Bible teaches.  It says that this rock does not refer to Peter per se, but rather, in the words of St. John Chrysostom, "the faith of his confession."  The real Rock is Christ Himself (1 Corinthians 10:4), and the Church is built on the faithful confession of Christ.  The gates of Hades are the powers of death.  In the Old Testament, gates are suggestive of a fortified city (Genesis 22:17; 24:60; Isaiah 14:31).  In shattering its gates, Christ opens the stronghold of death to set free the souls of the righteous; this is the historical way the Church understands Christ's mission which even extends to Hades and to those therein.  So, also, my study Bible adds, the Church shall not be stopped in her proclamation of salvation.   Moreover, my study Bible adds that the term church is mentioned only twice in all the gospels, here and in Matthew 18:17.  This Church is the true Israel and the Body of Christ, and her citizenship is heavenly.  

"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.  The expression keys of the kingdom, my study Bible says, refers to a special authority that will be given to both Peter and the other apostles after the Resurrection (see Matthew 18:18; John 20:23).  Peter was not a leader over the others, but rather among them.  This truth was confirmed at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) where the apostles and presbyters met as equals, and where Peter advised but James presided.  Claims in later centuries, my study Bible asserts, should not be confused with the New Testament witness regarding Peter, nor should the role of Peter be diminished in these claims.  According to St. John Chrysostom, binding and loosing is a reference primarily to the authority "to absolve sins" (see also John 20:23).  It also includes all the teaching, sacramental, and administrative authority of the apostles.  This authority has been transmitted to the bishops of the Church, and continues today.

The concepts of the Church which arise in today's reading give the firm foundation of the Church as profoundly spiritual in nature.  That is, the Church is the Body of Christ, and as my study Bible puts it, her citizenship is heavenly.  As today's reading indicates, everything begins with the rock of faith, which is a  profound divine/human connection, dynamic in its energies, and producing what we understand of our faith and all that is connected to it.  It begins with Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.  In Christ's response to him is revealed to us this profound divine/human connection:  "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."   Jesus affirms that this conclusion from Peter has not come through Peter's faculties alone, his capacity for reason and intellectual understanding, or any other resource that is Peter's alone.  Rather, we are given this extraordinary affirmation that the Father in heaven has in fact revealed the truth of Jesus' identity to Peter.  And this connection of faith is the rock upon which the Church is founded.  It is for this reason that we truly need to consider the spiritual nature of the foundation of the Church, all of its buildings, services, saints, our Book -- the Bible, and all our Scriptures.  All of it is the product of this profound spiritual entity, this divine/human reality of faith and the grace that it locks into the world.  If we think of the Church on these terms, we may come to see how central Christ's Incarnation itself is to the identity and meaning of the Church, for as the Body of Christ, the Church makes manifest Christ Himself as part of our world.  From there we come to see the Eucharist as so central to the Church as to be inseparable, for it is in the Eucharist where we find Him and His life that is given for us.  None of these things can be separate from our deep need to understand the Church as truly spiritual in nature, and not simply a collection of buildings or services or Scriptures or even a physical population of worshipers.  This spiritual reality is one that is dynamic and living, that must live and be revived through each new generation, giving life to the Church, meaning to the Scriptures, and generating faith in the world.  For each new generation will seek and find meaning in all of the aspects of the Church that have been produced through her history only through this living faith, this understanding of the spiritual foundations within which we must root ourselves and from which all else proceeds.  Just as the disciples will come to the fullness of their understanding of Christ and all of the Scriptures fulfilled in Him, His teachings, and His life, only after Pentecost, so we need to rely upon the grace of our spiritual foundation to rediscover those meanings and enlightening values in the saints, in our prayers, in our Scripture, and all else that the Church can offer.  Let us understand the incredible revelation given to Peter, wherein even God the Father indwells us and "speaks" to us, a more powerful foundation than any the world can give us.  Even the gates of Hades cannot prevail against it, and we are always in need of it, in each generation, for the true life of the world.

And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it

 

 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"  So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 

 

 Jesus answered and said, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. 

 

- Matthew 16:13-20 

 

Yesterday we read that the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.  He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.'  Hypocrites!  You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.  A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah."  And He left them and departed.  Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.  Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?  Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?  Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?  How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?  -- but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

 

 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"  So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  My study Bible comments that Christ's question, "Who do you say that I am?" is the greatest question a person can ever face, because it is the question that defines Christianity.  Peter's correct answer to this question prevents the Christian faith from being seen as simply another philosophical system or path of spirituality.  Instead, it names Jesus as the one and only Son of the living God.  Such a position means that all compromise with other religious systems is excluded.  Peter's understanding cannot be achieved by human reason, my study Bible adds, but only by divine revelation through faith (1 Corinthians 12:3), as Jesus says Himself in the following verse ("Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven").  Christ means "Anointed One," and is the equivalent to the Hebrew title "Messiah."  My study Bible also points out that Christ first draws out erroneous opinions about Himself (at the top of the reading).  This is done in order to identify these incorrect ideas, as a person is better prepared to avoid false teachings when they are clearly identified.  

 

 Jesus answered and said, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."  Here my study Bible shows us that Peter/rock is a play on the word for "rock" -- both in Aramaic and Greek (Gk. Πετρος-Petros/πετρα-petra).  It notes that this rock refers not to Peter per se, but, according to St. John Chrysostom, to "the faith of his confession."   The true Rock is Christ Himself (1 Corinthians 10:4), and the Church is built on the faithful confession of Christ.  The gates of Hades, my study Bible explains, are the powers of death.  In the Old Testament, gates suggest a fortified city (Genesis 22:17, 24:60; Isaiah 14:31).  By shattering its gates, Christ opens the stronghold of death to set free the souls of the righteous.  So therefore the Church also shall not be stopped in her proclamation of salvation.  My study Bible also comments that the term church is mentioned only twice in all the gospels, here and in Matthew 18:17.  This Church, it says, is the true Israel and the Body of Christ; her citizenship is heavenly.  

 

 "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.  Keys of the kingdom is a reference to a special authority that will be given to both Peter and the other apostles after the Resurrection (see Matthew 18:18; John 20:23).  My study Bible tells us that Peter was not a leader over the other apostles, but rather among them.  This truth was confirmed at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) where the apostles and presbyters met as equals, an Peter advised but James presided.   My study Bible adds that certain papal claims in later centuries should not be confused with the New Testament witness regarding Peter -- and neither should the role of Peter be diminished in opposition to these claims.  Moreover, binding and loosing, it notes, is a reference primarily to the authority "to absolve sins" according to St. John Chrysostom; see also John 20:23.  But it also includes all the teaching, sacramental, and administrative authority of the apostles.  This authority was in turn transmitted to the bishops of the Church and continues in effect today.

 

So, if Christ is the true Rock of the Church, then how shall we look at His words today to Peter (whom Jesus named "Rock")?  Clearly, as my study Bible teaches (quoting St. John Chrysostom), it is the faith of Peter's confession -- which we may also share -- that becomes the rock.  It is yet one more instance among many that demonstrates for us the power of faith to make a connection to Christ, and through which Christ's power and authority may be shared with us.  In all of the healings done by Christ, in the miraculous feedings in the wilderness, it is the presence of faith that enables such things to happen, making a connection with Christ.  In the healing of the woman with the twelve years blood flow, it is her faith -- as she dares to touch the hem of His garment -- that connects to release power from Christ and make her well.  As He tells her, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well."  When the Canaanite woman dared to struggle with Christ for a healing for her daughter, she was rewarded for the persistence of her faith.  Jesus told her, "O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be to you as you desire."  When Jesus was rejected in His home town of Nazareth, we're told that He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.   All of this is to show that it is the power of faith in Christ that connects us mysteriously to Christ's power and authority, just as He has also shared the same with the apostles as they went out on their first mission to heal, cast out demons, and preach the gospel message.  Repeatedly we're shown that it is faith that makes such connection and sharing possible.  So, the idea that the Church is built on the faithful confession of Christ becomes all the more vividly illustrated through these other events in the Gospels that also depend upon faith in order to happen.  They give us the clues in the Gospels about the power of faith and what it does and makes possible.  On this strength, then, we should not wonder that our Church depends, and so much else depends in the world.  It seems that we frequently fail to give sufficient consideration to that power of our faith, and what are the consequences when we become tepid or uncaring, or take it for granted.  Certainly in the Revelation we witness the chastising response for a Church grown lukewarm in its faith (Revelation 3:16).  But if, by the connection of this faith, healings happen, the Church is built, and the demonic is supplanted by the authority of Christ, what then will be the consequences when faith is dismissed or considered to be extraneous to our lives?  There is currently a best selling book on Amazon.com entitled Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, by Tom Holland, in which the historian explores all the ways in which Christianity has shaped so much of the things we take for granted as part of culture, ethics, values, legal systems, and the common assumptions behind much of our thinking.  In light of that context, it is perhaps illuminating to consider what we might stand to lose when we take all of that for granted, and separate it from the faith out of which it came and was built.  Can we abstract out all the good things that have benefited us from our faith?  Will those "live" in the same way and with the same power and potential?  Perhaps it is time for all of us to set greater stock in the value of our faith itself, and the things it has created in the world through which the whole world benefits.  Let us consider the very thing that gives us the rock upon which we build, and which can prevail even against the gates of Hades. 

 

 

 

 

On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it

 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"  So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

- Matthew 16:13-20

Yesterday, we read that the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Jesus asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.  He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.'  Hypocrites!  You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.  A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah."  And He left them and departed.  Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.  Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?  Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?  Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?  How is is you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?  -- but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"     So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."   Imagine Jesus asking you this question.  My study bible says it's the greatest question a person can face, because the question defines Christianity.  It tells us that Peter's answer separates the Christian faith from being seen as merely another philosophical system or path of spirituality, because Jesus is named as the Son of the living God.  In such an answer, there is no compromise with other religious systems.  Such an answer doesn't come from human reason, but only by divine revelation through faith (1 Corinthians 12:3).  The Christ is the "Anointed One," equivalent to the Hebrew "Messiah."  My study bible also tells us to note that Jesus first draws out erroneous opinions that people hold about Himself.  In this way, incorrect ideas are identified; a person is better able to avoid false teachings if they have been clearly identified.  It is an unimaginable gift to understand that we human beings are capable of receiving knowledge, insight, and understanding from God the Father.

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."  Peter/rock, says my study bible, is a play on the word for rock.  It's similar in both Aramaic and Greek:  Petros/petra).  This rock doesn't refer simply to the person Peter per se, but rather, in the words of St. John Chrysostom, to "the faith of his confession."  The true Rock is Christ Himself, says my study bible.  See 1 Corinthians 10:4.  The Church is built on the faithful confession of Christ.  The Gates of Hades are the powers of death.  For the Old Testament, gates were suggestive of a fortified city (see, for example, Isaiah 14:31).   The Gates of Hades can't hold the life of this Church.  That is, the power of death.  By shattering its gates, says my study bible, Christ opens the stronghold of death to set free the souls of the righteous.  And such gates cannot stop the Church in the proclamation of salvation.  My study bible adds that the term church is mentioned only twice in all the gospels:  here and in 18:17.  It says, "This Church is the true Israel and the Body of Christ; her citizenship is heavenly."

"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.  My study bible says that the keys of the kingdom refers to a special authority that will be given to both Peter and the other apostles after the Resurrection (18:18, John 20:23).  Peter's leadership position is not one held over the others, but rather among them.  At the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15), the apostles and presbyters met as equals.  Peter advised, but James presided.  Binding and loosing refers primarily to the authority "to absolve sins" in the words of Chrysostom, but also includes the apostles' teaching, sacramental, and administrative authority, held to be transferred in turn to the bishops of the Church, and continuing in effect.

Great, astonishing news comes in today's reading.  Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  Peter would not have understood this except that God the Father has somehow revealed it to him.  And that rock of faith is so powerful that the gates of Hades, the power of death itself, cannot prevail against it.  Not only that, but this power invested in human beings via faith goes so far as to include the keys of the kingdom of heaven, so that whatever they bind or loose on earth will be bound or loosed in heaven.  It's like a tremendous union has just happened, in all kinds of momentous ways, simultaneously, through this one action of the Father revealing in Peter the reality of who Jesus is, the Christ, the Son of God.  All of a sudden there's an explosion of unity between heaven and earth, human beings and God, human capacity and spiritual, heavenly power -- even a power over death.  And yet, it all has to be kept secret.  This great mystical reality has to be kept, for now, under wraps.  They must tell no one.  What are we to make of such things?  What could they, the apostles, understand?  Tomorrow's reading will give us another sort of thunderclap for the apostles to take in, as Jesus begins to explain what the rest of His mission on earth is to look like.  But for now, let us remember this great and momentous news, that human beings are capable of having revealed in them knowledge from God the Father, that the Church itself is endowed with a power that prevails over death, that lives in this world, and unites us with the reality of heaven.  Jesus gives us the Church, named as such here in this passage, a living reality that death can't defeat.  Everything in this human/divine connection and collaboration is built on the rock of faith.  Let us not forget it.  We have no idea what we are entering into when we build a life of faith.  Jesus emphasizes this over and over and over again.  It's not just about human effort, but a divine/human synergy working together, cemented into every last place where this can happen, right down to the pronouncement that it can prevail even over death.  How many ways does your faith serve your life, and serve the world in terms of its outlook and effects?

Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven

 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"  So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

- Matthew 16:13-20

Yesterday, we read that the Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.  He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.'  Hypocrites!  You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.  A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah."  And He left them and departed.  Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.  Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?  Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?  Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?  How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?  -- but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"  So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."  My study bible has several notes on today's verses.  Of today's entire reading, we're told that the question Who do you say that I am?  is the greatest question that anyone can ever face.  This is because it is actually the question that, in fact, defines Christianity.  It tells us that Peter's correct answer prevents the Christian faith from being interpreted as yet another philosophical system (particularly in the context of a time in which there were many philosophies that vied for disciples, but also, all times) or a "path" of spirituality, because it actually names Jesus as the one and only Son of the living God.  Therefore other religious systems don't contain this essential element.  It tells us that Peter's understanding can't be achieved through human reason alone, but can only be truly given by divine revelation through faith (1 Corinthians 12:3).  Christ means "Anointed One," equivalent to "Messiah" in Hebrew.  My study bible notes that Jesus first draws out the erroneous opinions that are expressed about Himself.  It says, "He does this to identify these incorrect ideas, as a person is better prepared to avoid false teachings when they are clearly identified."

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. "  My study bible says, "Peter/rock is a play on the word for 'rock' in both Aramaic and Greek (petros/petra).  This rock refers not to Peter per se, but to the 'faith of his confession' (John Chrysostom).  The true Rock is Christ Himself (1 Corinthians 10:4), and the Church is built on the faithful confession of Christ.  Gates of Hades:  powers of death.  In the Old Testament, gates suggest a fortified city (Genesis 22:17, 24:60; Isaiah 14:31).  By shattering its gates, Christ opens the stronghold of death to set free the souls of the righteous.  So also, the Church shall not be stopped in her proclamation of salvation.  The term church is mentioned only twice in all the gospels, here and in 18:17.  This Church is the true Israel and the Body of Christ; her citizenship is heavenly."

"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.  A note here says that the phrase keys of the kingdom refers to a special authority that will be given to both Peter and the other apostles after the Resurrection (see 18:18; John 20:23).  It tells us that Peter wasn't a leader over the others but rather among them.  The Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) where apostles and presbyters met as equals, where Peter advised but James presided, confirms this concept.  This role of Peter, we're advised, should neither be exaggerated nor diminished in opposition to these claims.  Binding and loosing, it says, refer primarily to the authority to "absolve sins" (according to John Chrysostom; see also John 20:23), but also includes the teaching, sacramental, and administrative authority of the apostles.  It is in the sense of this authority that from ancient times, the Church saw transmission to bishops which continues.

There is so much information in today's reading.  If we were reading a novel, it would be the moment that a great secret, a grand mystery, was revealed (perhaps affirmed), tying threads together to make sense from a much greater point of view of all that has happened before.  But in this case, since this is Christ about whom we're speaking, this new point of view is something that comes not from the "past" only, but a grand impact on the present and particularly on the future.  The reality of Christ intersects time in every sense, and it changes the entire world, making sense not only of the prophesies of the Scripture from the past, but determining and influencing so much of the future in every place in the world - in more ways than we can count or possibly consider.   In this sense, the reality of the Person of Christ is essential for us to understand not only to make sense of the past, but also the subsequent development of all kinds of things in the world, and even our own futures -- how we are to live our lives in ways that build something into the future, and in relation not to the world that we know alone, but to an entire cosmos.  God is human, God will die a horrible death, suffering with us -- and this God, who lived His life as Jesus, the Son of Man, is the cosmic ruler of a universe, beyond the limitations of time and space, the one who will indeed trample death so that the Gates of Hades do not prevail against His Church.  He invites us to this place with Him, in every sense of the ultimate and timeless reality we are invited to embrace and to enter into, as His child.  Let us consider this complete intersection of the infinite with the finite, and consider what it means that His identity could only be understood as revealed to human beings by the Father.  In Christ, human beings are graced with the "keys of the kingdom of heaven," and a great Rock is established.  We remain in that place where the paradox of this reality keeps giving us more, beyond all we know.

Take heed that no one deceives you

Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" And Jesus answered and said to them, "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

- Matthew 24:1-14

Jesus has been in the temple in Jerusalem over the past few readings, disputing with those who put questions to Him, to test and trap Him. In yesterday's reading, He continued with His critique of the Pharisees and scribes. His most scathing criticism is of their hypocrisy in the ways in which they practice their faith, and contrasts the type of leadership and authority He wants to see among His own disciples. In yesterday's reading, He said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness." Jesus said that while they tell one another they would not have been among those who stoned and killed the prophets of the past, they are witnesses to themselves as to whose children they are -- because Jesus will send them "prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city." The measure of this rejection -- from times past to times future -- will have its full effect in this generation. He said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"

Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down." One really must consider the majesty and beauty of the temple to get an idea of the extraordinary thing that Jesus is predicting here. It was an immense project, rebuilt by Herod the Great to include colonnades, porticoes, and marvels of architectural beauty. Its stones were immense. But in its destruction in A.D. 70, only a fragment of one retaining wall remained, known today as the Wailing Wall. It was rumored that there was gold between the stones, and so Jesus' prediction that "not one stone shall be left here upon another" is a vivid picture of the actual search for plunder that took place in its destruction. The disciples marvel at the temple's extraordinary grandeur. I think that what was to come would have been barely imaginable to them.

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" Sitting on the Mount of Olives, Jesus and His disciples would have a vantage point overlooking the city of Jerusalem. In the context of Matthew's gospel, there is a dramatic shift here. Jesus has been focusing on issues of leadership and authority up until this point, but now the question shifts to the end of the age. Implicit here are questions about the coming Kingdom.

And Jesus answered and said to them, "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows." My study bible points out that "the disciples dream of the hoped-for earthly kingdom, which they expect to appear almost immediately." But Jesus is preparing them for what is to come in Jerusalem, the great destruction and calamity that will be experienced. Through His warning, the early church at Jerusalem did indeed watch for the signs, and escaped this destruction. While discussion of the end of the age is tied in with the destruction of the temple, here Jesus' immediate reference is about what is to come in Jerusalem, a warning for them. But note that His very first -- His primary -- note of warning is not of the destruction, but of the false prophets who will come in His name to mislead them. There is also a preparation here that they must endure, and not be dismayed or lose heart by what they are to experience and witness in the events to come.

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." The difficulties for the Church will abound. There will be terrible persecutions, leading to betrayals and falling away from the Church. Because of false prophets, leading some astray, there will be those who lose faith. But above all, Jesus preaches endurance and discernment. That which survives all these tragedies and tribulation will spread -- the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations. The times of the end of the age will come after that. In the readings that follow, we will see the attitude with which Jesus says we are to remain prepared for this future and His Second Coming. His warning about what is to come in Jerusalem will also be emphasized for them.

What a dark and difficult prediction this is! What a time in which He is making it. They have just come to Jerusalem, with great crowds welcoming Jesus with shouts fit to welcome a Messiah. In His disputes in the temple with those who seek to trap Him, Jesus emerges victorious -- silencing His critics and delighting the crowds. But here, the warning comes loud and fast and strong about what they must expect, the times they will endure. Not only will there come the terrible destruction of the extraordinary temple and this beloved holy city, but even among themselves there will be persecution, betrayal, false prophets, lawlessness. I doubt that any could comprehend these words and teachings, when they have expectations of the manifestation of the Kingdom. But these words are secret to the disciples, to those who will follow and be sent out as apostles, who will be martyred. And in this secret and private warning there is a deeper secret of discipleship hinted at: endurance. Matthew's gospel has focused on leadership and authority for quite a few chapters. Jesus has repeatedly taught about servanthood and humility before God, extending to one another. Here He gives them more virtues of those who will be truly faithful and exhibit leadership: endurance and discernment. They are not to be afraid of what is to come. Nothing must dismay them. And they are secretly and privately warned beforehand of what is to come, what they must expect. The courage, strength and endurance they will exhibit, the heeding of these warnings about false prophets, and about Jerusalem's destruction, all will serve the survival of the Church and its spread to the world. This handful of people can't possibly understand what all this implies in this moment. But Jesus' warning and His example still serves us today, and teaches us what our attitudes should be in difficulty we encounter for the gospel of the Kingdom. We endure. We have His words of warning, His love. We keep watch and keep aware that there may be false prophets in His name who lead people astray, and we know the destructive consequences to the Church. But let us take heart in the strength and courage, patience and endurance He counsels. Let us continue to trust in His words, as did they. "Take heed that no one deceives you" can include for us a warning not to be deceived by our own fears amidst calamity, and difficulty and tribulation. Through all things, we await His promise.

So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.' So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.' And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.' But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good? So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen."

- Matthew 20:1-16

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His teachings after the encounter with the young ruler. In that reading, the young man asked what good thing he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus first told him to follow the commandments, which the young ruler said he always had done. What did he lack? Jesus told him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." The young man went away sad, for he had many possessions. In yesterday's reading, Jesus spoke to His disciples about this encounter. He said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." The disciples wondered who, then, could be saved? Jesus replied, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Peter answered that they had left all to follow Him. Jesus said, ""Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard." Jesus replies with a parable to illustrate His last words to the disciples in yesterday's reading. The vineyard is the world in which they labor for the kingdom; the owner, of course, is God. My study bible specifies that "the vineyard is the life God gives us in the world; the day is the time of laboring, the here and now; the laborers are those He calls to fulfill His commandments."

"And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went." The vineyard owner goes out later in the morning to find yet more laborers. In the sense in which my study bible sees this parable, we can compare it to the constant call of Christ. It comes to us at all stages of life -- and we are free to join in to this labor at any time, no matter what our age. In another sense, we may see this parable as speaking about the age in which we currently live, in which the laborers continue to do the work of the kingdom in the world, to work to produce the fruit of the vines, and the wine that will celebrate the ultimate wedding feast of the Bridegroom with His Church.

"Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'" Tellingly, all the hours that Jesus names are the times of the day for prayer, and today we continue with the system of prayers of the hours in many branches of the Church. In this parallel, we can see prayer for the Kingdom as a part of this work. The "day" can be seen as the lifetime of the person, if we wish to read it that way. Each can be called to work for the Kingdom at any time.

"So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.'" Here, we must recall Jesus' words to the disciples from yesterday's reading: "But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

"And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'" Let us consider the ways in which we can view this parable, along with the disciples to whom it is told in the gospel. My study bible says that those called at different hours represent the different ages of those who draw near to God in life: "those who from earliest youth, from mature age, or from very old age hold to virtue." (We recall what Jesus taught the young ruler he must do to inherit eternal life.) It continues, "God's generosity provides equal access to and enjoyment of rewards in the life of the Kingdom for both early and late comers." In addition, I believe we can also see this parable as that of the work for the kingdom in the life of the Church: there are those who suffered in ways that others do not; the Church has her apostles and saints, her martyrs and those who sacrificed -- all come to Christ in the ways in which they are called throughout her history, as the time and circumstances demand. A Christian life can come anytime, in any place, under any circumstances, no matter how or when we are called. The apostles, of course, are the foundation of this Church. But that does not neglect the work of those who will come later. Even in Jesus' own time, and immediately following His death in the lifetimes of the disciples, many will join them later to serve.

"But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good? So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen." My study bible says, "Jesus teaches the former they should neither be proud of their long service, nor question those called at the eleventh hour -- lest they themselves lose all. To the latter, He teaches it is possible even in a short time to recover everything. In Jesus' ministry this parable applies to the Pharisees and sinners, while in the early Church it applies to Jews and Gentiles. St. John Chrysostom's famous Easter sermon is based on this parable; for him the reward is the Lord's rich banquet of the Easter Eucharist." I see in this parable a great promise, and that promise is made equally to all of us, to each of us. How do we labor? How long do we labor? When are we called? All of these questions can be seen in terms of the life of the Church, or the times in which we are called, or equally, the time in our lives we are called. It all depends on how we respond, but even more deeply on how the Lord chooses. It should be noted that to have "an evil eye" is a common expression in the Near and Mid East that denotes envy or covetousness. Jesus is preparing us, and His disciples, to take note of the ways in which we look and see -- and here specifically He continues to address concepts of leadership in the Church, and the great humility required for her service.

Over the past week, we've been given teachings by Jesus that are especially directed at teaching the required humility in the leadership of His church. (See all the readings beginning last Thursday through today.) Today, He gets down to the heart of the question of service: who serves best? who serves most? who then gets the greatest reward? And the powerful message we get in return is really that it all depends on how He chooses. It's really not up to us to determine who is more deserving, who gets what, which service is best or better, or to look with "evil eye" in any sense at the work of the kingdom and the workers within it. We are called as we are called, and this is what we pay attention to -- our relationship with Him comes first, and determines our relationship to others. (In a nutshell, these are the two greatest commandments, which will be given us later on in Matthew's gospel.) Jesus' teaching gives us -- and the disciples -- focus. Whom do we serve? What do we serve? Who sets the terms of our service? And in serving, what is it that we must pay attention to? It is reminiscent of the last story we read in John's gospel, when Peter and John see the risen Christ for the last time. Jesus tells Peter three times to "feed my lambs." But Peter, standing in for all of us as he so often does, then turns to John and asks, "What shall this man do?" Jesus replies, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me." And so it is, we "follow Him." He sets the terms of our service, and we respond to the call. We are given the day to do so, just as the Father sets the times for all things, even the end of the age. Let us be grateful for our vineyard and the work we are to do, and the rewards the Lord calls us to, whatever they may be. For many are called, but few chosen. Today in the United States, it is a day for giving thanks. Let us remember the good things the Lord has done for us, including the work He calls us to do, and the reward of His promise.

On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

- Matthew 16:13-20

In yesterday's reading, Matthew's gospel tells us that Jesus was asked by Pharisees and Sadducees for a sign from heaven, in order to test Him. He told them that they can see the signs in the sky for the weather. But He then added, "Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times." They will receive no sign but that of Jonah, He told them. Later, with His disciples, He told them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." The disciples fail to understand, and they say among themselves that it's because they've forgotten to take bread with them. Jesus reminds them of His feeding miracles -- and then they understand that the "leaven" of the Pharisees and Sadducees is their doctrine.

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" Jesus asks the great question. We have seen in yesterday's reading the contrast between the type of faith that the Pharisees and Sadducees have (they demand a test, a sign from Jesus), and the faith of these much more simple, less educated men who are Christ's disciples. This question, in its most profound sense, is one asked of each of us. Who is He? But note, Jesus asks them who "the world" says He is.

So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" The gospel teaches us the difference here between the opinions of the crowds, and that of the disciples. Jesus explicitly asks for one and then the other.

Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." Peter makes his great confession of faith, speaking for all of the disciples. And here we have a great pronouncement: the Father has revealed this to Peter. My study bible says that "Jesus' messianic identity and divinity, the mystery hidden from eternity, cannot be truly known by human reason, but only by God's revelation. Christ means 'the Anointed One.' Christ is the Son of the living God, whom the Father has anointed with the Holy Spirit." Christ and Messiah both mean "Anointed One." It is an awesome revelation here that these simple men, in Peter, have revealed to them a direct communication -- however deeply within the heart -- from the Father. This is a depth of relatedness directly between an unknowable God in God's full divinity, and a man, one of whom Jesus called "you of little faith" in yesterday's reading.

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." The words Peter and rock constitute a play on words here in both Aramaic and Greek: they are petros and petra. The rock is this foundation of covenant in faith between man and God, even God the Father, in this revelation of faith. Within that bond the "gates of Hades" cannot prevail -- these are the powers of death, of evil and sinfulness. My study bible adds: "In the Old Testament gates suggest a fortified city. hence, by shattering the gates, Christ is opening the stronghold of death to set free the souls of righteous men. In all the Gospels, church is mentioned twice by the Lord, here and in 18:17, describing the true Israel whose citizenship is heavenly. She is the body of Christ, the divine-human organism, and to her comes the call of Jesus for the whole of mankind to abide with Him and in Him (Eph. 1:23)."

"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. Jesus' statement here conveys a great depth of understanding of just what this bond is and will do -- this bond that breaks even the gates of Hades. My study bible points out that binding and loosing is a reference to the teaching, sacramental and administrative powers of the Apostles which were transmitted to the bishops of the Church. It also says, "Keys of the kingdom clearly implies a special authority given to Peter himself, but never separated from his confession of faith. While Peter was a leader of the disciples and of the early Church, all the apostles were empowered with Christ's authority (18:18)." Keys imply another interesting play on the idea of the gates of a fortified city -- while the gates of Hades cannot prevail against this bond, in addition Christ gives to them the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Binding and loosing are also words of bond, of covenant; they imply a heavenly authority given to the word carried in true faith. But, we note, as yet they are to tell no one this great secret!

My study bible points out regarding the Messiah or Christ that this anointing is foreseen in glimpses in the Old Testament. It notes, "David says, 'Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions' (Ps. 45:7). Isaiah, speaing in the name of the Lord, says,'The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me' (Is. 61:1)." However we wish to interpret the confession of faith and its authority, or even the words of the prophets, one thing is clear here: there is a distinction between the type of faith shown by the leadership, and the type of faith found in Peter's confession. This is a bond of covenant within the heart, that is revealed within a person. When Jesus speaks of the spiritual eyes and ears that are so important to each person (as in, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"), He repeats the words of the prophets as well. It all goes to the state of the heart. These words are not words meant to punish or penalize; they are meant to awaken, to call people to a state of receptiveness for holy things, the things of heaven. In yesterday's reading, Jesus chastises the Pharisees and Sadducees for looking to the face of heaven, but seeing only the sky. Let us remember that we are called to "Remember God" and to hold minds and hearts receptive to the things of the Spirit. What word in your heart might you find today? Pray in the inner chamber, to the Father who sees in secret.