taken 8/20/05

taken 8/20/05

August 21, 2005

Mt 16:13-20

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.
Peter knows that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus is pleased that Peter can see who he is and teaches that this ability was given by God. Peter will be the rock that the Church is founded on. Peter is promised the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

The Church is the way to heaven and the founder and leader Peter is so much like my own self. He is impulsive at times and stubborn and a simple working person. He later fails Jesus and denies him although he vowed that that he never would. It is helpful to me as a simple person who keeps falling down and making mistakes that the rock that the Church is built on is also a simple flawed person who makes mistakes but knows who Jesus is.