TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY 23 08 26
OLD TESTAMENT READING: Exodus 1.8-2.10
NEW TESTAMENT READING: Romans 12.1-8
GOSPEL: Matthew 16.13-20
Jesus was going about in his mission, preaching, teaching, healing and people are hearing, seeing and experiencing things which they have never heard or seen before. There were people coming to see and hear Jesus in great numbers.
There comes a moment, Jesus would like to make an assessment of the impression that he is making. Have people understood who he is and what he is trying to achieve.
There comes a special moment. Jesus plans for a retreat experience and takes his disciples to the region of Caesarea Philippi. It was a time of evaluation and to recognise what is happening.
He is the Son of God who brought the Kingdom of God into peoples lives and into the world. He demonstrated the power of God as he healed people, drove away the demons that were destroying the lives of people, he taught about God with great simplicity yet in a powerful way. He granted forgiveness and new life. Have people got the point who he is and what is he about@
Jesus was giving an opportunity for the disciples, his close friends to reflect how society is perceiving him.
Jesus asks this profound question to his disciples, Who do people say that I am. The disciples tell Jesus what people think of him. They reply, some people think you are Elijah who has come back, there are others who think you are Jeremiah another ancient prophet who has come back, some people say that you are John the Baptist whom Herod beheaded who has come back.
It is quite sad that people have seen the amazing things that he was doing, so many times they were amazed but the disciples realise that the people have not been able to see the divinity in him, that he has come to establish God’s Kingdom on the earth.
Jesus was something new, his nature was very special and unique and tremendous but the society did not recognise that.
Then comes the direct question to his friends who have seen him much closer, listed more seen more of his wisdom, his character, his ability. What do they make of him, his identity. Jesus asks the disciples, who do you say that I am.
Peter makes the great declaration, you are the Messiah, son of the living God. Messiah means the anointed one, someone who is the saviour, who comes in the name of God for a purpose.
Jesus responds ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 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.’
The church is standing on this rock. The rock is the truth that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, our Saviour, our God.
This is our understanding and faith that Jesus is the Messiah our saviour and shepherd, the Son of the living God who is with us as our constant companion. We adore him, we worship him and we will always serve him.
We all make an impression whether we like it or not, by the way we speak, by the way we live, by what we do. We have a calling to make an impression that we belong to Jesus and that Jesus lives in us.
If I ask the question who do people say that I am and the best response to hear would be this person is a Christian.