“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.”
We live in a world with a multitude of perspectives and opinions. Somehow there are now far more ideas about who Jesus was than there were during his own time, in spite of the fact that probably everyone who met him had their own unique take on who he was. How can one navigate through the maze of information and arrive at the truth? It is not necessary, as one might fear, to dismiss every other option, if he can find a way to one truth on which he can rely. And Christianity, time tested for two-thousand years, makes a good case that it might be that truth. But what would it mean if it were? Or what is it that it says about itself that we want to confirm or deny? It is fundamentally all about who Jesus is. The world says a myriad of things about him. But the Church says something that is both specific and unique.
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.”
If Jesus is who the Church claims him to be, and if the Church is the one established by Jesus on Peter the rock, then we as individuals don't have to prove each metaphysical, historical, or ethical claim involved. The surpassing claim of the Church continues to be the one made by Peter himself: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God". The Church witnessed the reality of that truth against all counterclaims by seeing Jesus risen from the dead. Before they had that experience they understood all too well that he had truly suffered and died. They thought they knew that he would stay dead. After all, he was the only one with sufficient power over life and death to bring back Lazarus and the daughter of Jairus. But since he was who he was, the resurrection and the life, it was finally impossible for death to have any power over him. He returned, giving final verification to everything he had said, to everything they had hoped was true about him. The Church became, and is now, fundamentally, a witness to who it knows Jesus to be in the light of his resurrection. It is a truth for which many of the first generation of Christians were willing to die rather than deny or contradict. It continues to be a truth that is more precious to its members than their temporary lives here on earth.
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.
Jesus wanted everyone to be able to have the experience Peter had of receiving the revelation of his true identity from his Father. But to ensure this was possible he established a Church, against which the gates of hell could not prevail. In history it was not typically ascendant or victorious in the way of nations and empires. It often seemed on the verge of collapse, often due to the all too human failings of its members. But it enjoyed a protection that went beyond the limitations of the humans who comprised it. When it seemed chained like Peter, unable to move or expand, an angel would unexpectedly set it free. Members of the Church might be chained, but as Paul taught, "the word of God is not bound" (see Second Timothy 2:9). Paul too experienced the divine protection of the Gospel message even while he himself was "already being poured out like a libation". He "was rescued from the lion's mouth" and from "every evil threat" that would not conduce to his Kingdom mission. This was not to say that he would not suffer. It was not to say that he would not even fail at times. But it was to say that God's plans for him were built on a rock that was greater than himself. Since he relied upon that rock as his foundation even those things that appeared to be evil and harmful were made to work for good.
We too have the option to build our lives upon the solid foundation established by Jesus, or alternatively, on the shifting sands of the world. The world tends to make promises about comfort that it cannot keep. The Church clearly does not promise comfort or an absence of suffering. But itdoes promise the faithful a protection from the powers of hell, from anything that would ultimately stand between them and the true purpose of their lives. And it promises those who keep their lives built on its foundation the same reward that Peter and Paul now enjoy. It is the safe way to the heavenly Kingdom, where "the crown of righteousness awaits", not just Paul, but "all who have longed" for the appearance of the Lord.
Phatmass Featuring Akalyte - Gates Of Hell
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