Pentecost 12A – August 23, 2020 | a Sermon on Matthew 16:13-20 | by The Rev. Dr. Judson F. Merrell, STS |

¹³ Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, „Who do people say that the Son of Man is?“ ¹⁴ And they said, „Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.“ ¹⁵ He said to them, „But who do you say that I am?“ ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, „You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.“ ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, „Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.

¹⁸ 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. ¹⁹ 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.“ ²⁰ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. (Mat 16:13-20 NRS)

Last week we heard Jesus say that it was not what went into the mouth that defiled a person, but what came out.  He was talking about our words and how they originate in our hearts.  I asked you all a question in my sermon:  “How would someone know you are a Christian?” I hope that you were able to reflect on that question in regards to the things you say; the words that come out of your mouths that originate in your hearts.  In our Gospel lesson today, we have several examples that I think builds on what we heard last week.  These examples show us how important our words can be.

Our lesson begins with Matthew telling us that Jesus is in the district of Caesarea Philippi, a border town between Israel and the Gentile world.  It is in this “in between” place that Jesus asks his disciples “¹³Who do people say that the Son of Man is?  Like good Israelites, they respond with Israeli answers.  “¹⁴Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”  With this answer, the disciples verify that Jesus stands in the prophetic tradition of Israel.  With this answer, they show a belief that exists in the hearts of those that have heard of Jesus.  This is important because Israel is under Roman occupation, and corruption of the political and religious classes are evident.  God has a history of sending a prophet when the people are not keeping covenant with God, and so having Jesus identified as a prophet is a good reminder of Israel’s history as well as how it worked out for them in the long run.

The disciple’s response though seems to not quite be good enough for Jesus.  “¹⁵But who do you say that I am?”  In other words, what are your hearts telling you?  Don’t always go with the flow of the crowds and the popular opinion….who do you think that I am?  This is a very important question to his disciples.  They have heard explanations to parables, seen him walk on water, and been called away from their daily lives to follow him.  It is no surprise that Simon Peter answers rather bluntly “¹⁶You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”  These words come from the pure love of God that abounds in Peter’s heart.  For the first time, Jesus is recognized as Messiah, the Savior Israel has long expected, the only one who can save Israel from its enemies.  This is Peter’s confession of truth.  It is a confession and witness that comes from the power of God working inside of him.  How would someone know Peter was a disciple?  By the words that come from his heart out of his mouth.  And for this confession, Peter receives the same blessing that Jesus has previously bestowed in the Beatitudes.  “¹⁷Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah!”  Again, powerful words of the heart.  Peter receives a blessing that can only be given by the Son of God, for a confession that too can only be revealed by God.  “For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.”

After this revelation and confession, Peter is given a task by Jesus.  “¹⁸ 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. ¹⁹ 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.“  In his new found role, Peter finds himself as a servant who guards the gifts of the church.  This is not a role that diminishes in any way the other disciples or workers in the kingdom, but is a role in which Peter is set apart.  He is not better than, nor is he lesser.  He simply has a different role.  It is a role that the church still carries on today.  Peter is tasked to keep the church true to its mission:  to be a witness to the Messiah, to be holy, and to promote peace through confession, absolution, and reconciliation, as Matthew will later record in chapter 18.  We could say that Peter has been given the task of unity.

So how do we as the church today continue this task?  How do we strive for unity and as such a defense against sin in the world?  One could say that we start with how we speak, the things that come from our hearts and then out of our mouths.  But maybe that is the problem.  Christians agree on lots of things, but our words also do not speak with unity.  Sin has caused us to fracture the very gift of God that is the church.  But hopefully with some reflection we might find ourselves on the path that Jesus laid out here for Peter:  confession, absolution, and eventual reconciliation.  This is how people will know we are Christian. The church speaks words of unity and peace in a world that so desperately needs it.  These words are the same as Peter’s….“¹⁶You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”  Not just a prophet, not just a teacher, but the promised One who is revealed by the Father through the church, for the sake of the world.  As we ponder on this Gospel lesson throughout this week, I hope that we continue to listen to how God speaks to our hearts, so that our words become a blessing for unity and a witness to Christ, who is the Messiah.  In the name of the Father, and the +Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.