Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

The Rock & Custodian of the Keys 

Isaiah 22:19-23; Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20

Keys have power. They open doors, and beyond those doors are things that provide us with comfort, convenience, happiness and security. Without our house keys, we wouldn’t be able to get into our homes and see our families. Without our car keys, we wouldn’t get anywhere. Without the keys to our safe, we wouldn’t be able to get the important things we’ve kept hidden.

In literature, keys represent knowledge, mystery, initiation and curiosity. Mystery comes in the form of secrets hidden behind locked chests, or locked doors. Knowledge can be in the form of a secret learned, wisdom unlocked through discovery. Keys can also mean initiation into a new way of life. Teenagers are given car keys which represent the maturity and responsibility that go hand-in-hand with the rite of passage into adulthood.

More importantly, keys can be a symbol of power. When the mayor hands the keys to the city to a hero, it means that the hero has risen from a mere citizen to an influential and important part of the community. And keys to a prison represent an ultimate power over someone’s life, to lock them in or to lock them out of society.

In today's gospel passage, Jesus has asks the disciples who people say that he is - Jesus wants to know what people are saying about him. And they tell him, "Some say John the Baptist." Now, if you'll remember John the Baptist had recently been beheaded by Herod and people thought Jesus was John the Baptist come back to life - even Herod himself in Mark 6 was confused by Jesus' appearance and wondered if Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead. Some thought Jesus was Elijah or Jeremiah, prophets from the Old Testament, whom the Jews believed would appear before the Messiah came.

Then Jesus says to them, "But who do YOU say that I am?" And from the awkward silence that falls upon the Apostles, Peter blurts out, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Here for a moment Peter gets it right - Jesus is more than a teacher, more than a prophet, more than a great moral leader, more than an example for us to follow. Jesus was not only the longed for Messiah, he was the Son of the Living God - the very mind and heart of God in the flesh! And because of Simon Peter's climactic confession, Jesus blesses him, changes his name from Simon to Peter, giving him a new identity as "the Rock," and then tosses him the keys to God's kingdom. It was an amazing gesture. You don't give powerful keys to just anyone!

At first glance, Peter seems an unlikely choice on which to bestow such a monumental responsibility. He stumbled, he fell, he denied and denied and denied. He struggled to understand. And even in his understanding, there was often some slight hesitation — some mistake, some fear

I’ll walk on water, Lord . . . Oops, help, I’m drowning!

I’ll never let them take you Lord, give me that Sword . . . Jesus? Never heard of him.

Lord, I’ll stand by you forever . . . Well, Jesus is dead, I’m going fishing.

It’s easy – maybe even a little comforting — to see ourselves as Peter. To identify with him. To see in his mis-steps, an echo of our own. After all, if Peter could finally “get it”, so can we. If Peter could stumble through his own difficult journey of faith maybe we can make it, too. Peter’s image of endearing cluelessness may be at times reassuring — encouraging — even heartwarming but I wonder if that image ultimately serves us well, or truly reflects the Rock, the Custodian of the Keys, on which Jesus so clearly relied.Peter may have stumbled at times, but he was also bold, daring, honest, filled with zeal and completely dedicated to our Lord:

• He put down his nets without hesitation to follow a man he didn’t know into a future he couldn’t see.
• He left everything he loved, trusting that his father, his wife, his children, his business, would be safe, even if he was not.
• He set out into the deep, knowing that whatever he needed would be taught to him. And if those lessons came at a terrible price, well, then, he would simply have to pay.
• When the crowds deserted Jesus after he told them he was the Bread of Life, and he asked the Twelve if they, too, wanted to leave him, Peter’s answer came immediately: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life.”
• It was Peter who preached to the masses in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and then defended the inclusion of Gentiles into the Church at the Council in Jerusalem.
• Imprisoned, chained, abused and eventually martyred for his faith,Simon Peter lived up to his nickname, becoming a Rock for all who came behind him.

Yes, it’s easy, maybe even a little comforting to see ourselves in Peter. In fact, it’s hard not to, since his challenges and trials are like a mirror held up to our own lives. We grow hot and cold in our enthusiasm for God; we are often confused about our faith, about what it means to be a follower of Jesus; we continually stumble on our journey of life. But equally, his triumphs should echo in our lives as well. We may stumble with Peter, but we should also join him in boldness and zeal. We may occasionally deny Christ, but we should also stand firm in the face of persecution. We may sometimes misunderstand, but we should be willing to cast our nets into the deep, and take our chances on faith, even when the future seems unclear.

There are TWO great confessions of faith in today’s Gospel. One is Peter’s faith is Jesus: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” The other is Jesus’ faith in Peter: “You are Rock and on this Rock I will build my church.” We are all here today because we, like Peter, profess our faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. But also like Peter, Jesus professes his faith in us and tosses us our own set of keys. A different set than those he gave to Peter, but nonetheless, important ones: Keys that can unlock the mysteries of faith to our children, to nonbelievers, to those of questioning faith. Keys to unlock hearts, to love the unloved and the unlovable. Keys that unleash care and compassion on those who are in need. And keys that unlock doors of prejudice and exclusion to the outcasts and those who live on the margins of our lives and in our community.

Peter: the Apostle, the first pope, the martyr, the Rock, the Custodian of the Keys. His life shouldn’t confirm us in our weakness, but rather inspire us to seek greatness. If we are listening, Peter’s story can teach us to be loyal, to be brave, to be filled with the power of faith and hope.

Lord, grant us more Peters - more men and women who are willing to wear their heart on their sleeves, who are willing to make mistakes for the sake of love of Christ, who are willing to give up being safe, for the sake of following their Lord, people who follow their Lord with all their heart, and strength, and mind.