Matthew 16:13-19

Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle

1 Peter 5:1-4

Psalm 23:1-3a, 4, 5, 6

Matthew 16:13-19

When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi

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.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are the source of all that is good. I thank you for all that you have done for me, for creating me out of love, for sending your Son to redeem me, and for sending your Spirit to sanctify me.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Significance of Caesarea Philippi: On this Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, we read about Peter’s confession of faith in Caesarea Philippi. The back story of the city sheds light on what is happening. During the war between Caesar Augustus and Mark Antony, Heard the Great had supported Antony. When Antony was defeated in the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C., Herod wrote to Caesar Augustus, pledged his fidelity, and began to build three temples in honor of Caesar Augustus. One of these three temples was in Caesarea Philippi. […] “By saying Jesus was the son of the living God, Peter meant that [Jesus] was more than a son of a politically-contrived god, as was Caesar Augustus. Rather, he was professing that Jesus is the Son of the living God – the true Son of the one true God. This would be the question for Peter for the rest of his life and for Christians over the next three centuries as they were told to burn incense to the image of the emperor and worship him or die. Over and over again, Christians would choose to be martyred because they followed in the footsteps of Peter by professing that there is only one living God – and it most certainly was not some Roman Emperor” (Gray, Peter: Keys to Following Jesus, 59).

2. Son of Jonah: It is interesting that Jesus calls Simon Peter, the “son of Jonah.” Simon Peter’s father’s actual name was likely “John.” This opens up to two deeper meanings for the title. On the one hand, Jesus is the New Jonah. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and nights, Jesus would also spend three days in the belly of the earth before rising from the dead. And so, Peter is the spiritual son of Jesus, the New Jonah, and belongs to this new spiritual lineage. On the other hand, the life of Jonah and the life of Peter will parallel each other. Just as Jonah was sent to the capital of Nineveh to preach to the Assyrians, Simon Peter will be sent to the capital of Rome to preach to the Romans. And just as the Gentile Ninevites converted because of the preaching of the prophet Jonah, the Gentile Romans will convert due to the preaching of Peter and his successors. 

3. The Petrine Ministry: Jesus gives Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. This refers back to the role of the prime minister in the Kingdom of David. There were 12 ministers, one from each of the twelve tribes, in the Kingdom of Solomon, who acted as administrators. One of these twelve ministers, the Prime Minister, held the keys that granted access to the King. By giving the keys to Simon Peter, Jesus alludes to the threefold task of Peter’s ministry. First, binding and loosing refers to Peter’s pastoral governance. Just as the king of Israel granted authority to his prime minister, so Jesus grants governing authority to Peter, the rock on which he will build his Church. Second, it refers to Peter’s prophetic and teaching ministry. Just as the religious authorities in Jesus’ days authoritatively interpreted the Law of Moses in the Old Covenant, so also the apostles and their successors, guided by the Holy Spirit, can authoritatively teach about doctrine and morals in the New Covenant. Third, binding and loosing refers to Peter’s sacramental and sanctifying ministry, especially with regard to the forgiveness of sins.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, Chief Shepherd, guide your flock to good pasture and fresh water. Inspire the shepherds you have appointed to govern wisely, teach authentically, and help your people grow in holiness.

Living the Word of God: Am I praying for the leaders of the Church? Am I objective in my opinions about the decisions they make and interviews they give? How do I speak about them to other people? Do I let my political leanings exclusively determine my views? Am I balanced in my approach, assessing things with prudence and eyes of faith?