22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 3, 2023

The risks and rewards of following Jesus

Matthew 16:21–27

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.

Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”

He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?

“For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.”

Music Meditations

• “The Summons” (by John L. Bell) [YouTube]
• “What Wondrous Love Is This?” (sung by Fernando Ortega) [YouTube]
• “Kyrie Eleison” (Chris Tomlin) [YouTube]
• “I Need Thee Every Hour” (Fernando Ortega) [YouTube]

Opening Prayer

Lord, you invite us to ask question of our actions, motives and attitudes, to ask ourselves what we expect if we follow your ways. Support us in the times that are not easy, and help us to keep focused on holding you and your ideals close to my heart, even when it hurts to do so.

Companions for the Journey

From “First Impressions” (2011). A service of the Southern Dominican Province:

Last Sunday Jesus blessed Peter and gave him authority over his mission to build the household of God. Things have turned quickly on Peter as now Jesus calls him a devil and pushes him off. The sound of his rejection reminds us of what Jesus said to the devil when he tempted Jesus in the desert, “Away with you, Satan!” You can’t blame Peter for trying to save his master from pain and death. But there is more involved than just a devoted disciple’s desire to protect the teacher he loves and follows. Christianity is not an easy walk, all smiles and good feelings. “Finding Jesus,” or having “Jesus in my heart,” might produce initial buoyancy of spirit. But eventually the fuller picture of what following Jesus entails will set in. In the first reading, Jeremiah was initially attracted by God’s call, but today feels tricked by God because his vocation has caused him much grief. Peter should have known better, after all, he’s following the prophet Jesus. If Peter had reflected over the history of his religion, he would have remembered how prophets got rejected and killed. Now Peter is facing what Jeremiah faced: he is being called to accept a prophetic role and it will cost. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me.”

You can buy a gold cross in any jewelry store. If you are a rock or movie star you can afford to buy a large jewel-encrusted cross to wear before your adoring followers. But that’s not the kind of cross Jesus invites Peter and us to willingly take up each day. We are not likely to suffer crucifixion as Jesus did, but it’s clear Jesus invites his disciples to sacrifice for his sake and for the preaching of the gospel.

Today Paul points out how we disciples are to live. We ought to offer our bodies “as a living sacrifice.” Christians are not to “conform yourselves to this age....” If we choose to follow Christ we will live lives based on a different set of values from what guides those around us. This choice will cost us—friends, family, popularity and even possessions. We cannot buy into the values of our culture without first passing them under the lens of the gospel. At first Peter does not accept the terms of the relationship Jesus is offering. The emphasis on the pain and sacrifice seems to have blocked his ears to what comes along with the cross—life. Peter will, Jesus promises, gain his life.

After we get beyond Jesus’ casting Peter off, we might notice there’s an offer also being made to Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” It’s an initial rejection, Jesus is also telling Peter to go back where disciples should be—behind and following Jesus. That’s the right place for us too, despite our repeated failures to live up to being Jesus’ disciples. Like Peter, in subtle or more obvious ways, we have rejected the cost of discipleship and admit today our need for another chance to keep trying. We are invited back where we belong—following Jesus. Along with other disciples, we will be guided by Matthew over the next weeks as we listen to Jesus’ teachings. We disciples will notice on our journey with Jesus how he daily accepts his cross; the rejection and slander thrown in his path on the road to Jerusalem. As always, Jesus offers forgiveness for wayward and even obstructing disciples. Jesus sees in us what he saw in Peter, a willingness to do the best we can to follow him, even unto death. And so we join Peter as we get behind Jesus and follow him to Jerusalem.

Further reading:

• Reflection on Matthew 16:21–27 from “First Impressions” (2008) >>

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• Have I ever been in the middle of a project and realized that it was a much bigger undertaking than I imagined and was going to cost me more in time and resources than I was prepared to spend?
• What is my motivation behind engaging in denial of future unpleasant events—either ones I will experience or ones I expect a loved one will experience?
• Have I ever been in denial about some reality of life, or try to “sugarcoat” the truth for someone else?
  How did it work out for me?
• What would you do to prevent a family member or another loved one from being hurt?
• If you thought a beloved one was making a foolish or dangerous choice, would you try to talk them out of it?
• Have I ever been the recipient of someone’s fear for my safety or happiness?
  What form did this fear take?
  How did I respond?
• Why do you think Jesus reacts the way he does?
• Do I secretly believe that faith in Jesus will make life easier?
  Or that it ought to?
  Has there been a time when God’s plan for me did not meet my expectations?
• Do we tend to measure whether we are doing the right thing by how well things turn out?
• Is there a prevailing, but unacknowledged expectation that if we are doing what god wants, then god will “bless” us with having things turn out well?
• Can you name any contemporary people who have spoken out boldly for what they believed,?
  Other than the usual heroes like MLK, Jr, Bishop Romero, do you know of ordinary people who did something similar?
  Was there a cost?
• Do I sometimes in my own religious journey deny the meaning of the cross?
  Why?
  What do I think it means, in real-life terms, to take up my cross and follow Christ?
  What do I have to risk?
• From Daniel Harrington, S.J.:
  Do you ever think of your whole life as an act of worship?
• What does it mean to say that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God?
  Did Peter think it meant something quite different from the reality of Jesus’ life?
• Which of the last two gospel stories seems to be a truer picture of Peter?
  With which one do I most identify? Why?
• In what way do we try to “save our lives”?
  What do we buy, or use, or what comforts do we seek, calling those possessions “life”?
  Is there anything in our current culture—any values which might not pass the “smell test” when compared to Jesus teaching?
• What in my life do I want to “save”?
  What is the cost?
  Is there anything precious to me that I can let go of in order to be able to live more fully?
• I think of one behavior or personal habit I need to lose in order to save my own life as a follower of Jesus, or as a happy person.
• How does the message of this gospel fly in the face of our expectations that following Jesus will bring us an end to our problems?
• How does the Great Commandment fit into the message that those who try to save their lives will lose them?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

Read Acts 4:1-22. How has Peter’s attitude been changed since the story related in Matthew 16? What do you think Peter expected when he began to follow Jesus? What has happened to him to give him the courage and the strength he displays in the story from Acts? Think of a time in your life when you dreaded something in the future, but then plucked up the courage to face the challenge. What do you think gave you the strength to do what you had to do?

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions

Adapted from “First Impressions” (2008), a service of the Southern Dominican Province:

Do we have a choice; can we reject the invitation of Jesus? Of course we can. What is given to us today is an invitation, not a command. “Whoever wishes to come after me....Whoever wishes to save his/her life....” Jesus wants us to be fully aware of what we are taking on. But we won’t always feel the divine pat on the back for a job well done. Like Jesus, we may just have to keep going, trusting the call we once heard.

Jesus invites us into the same daily journey. What might we lose? In following Jesus, we might

• find ourselves at odds with our family’s fundamental choices and criteria for success
• refuse to practice unethical behavior, even at the risk of our academic advancement or careers
• choose forgiveness against voices telling us to be “realistic” and not naive
• do an honest day’s work, even when the boss is not looking and others are cutting corners and telling us “everyone else does it”
• treat co-workers with respect, despite their job skills, level of education or social status
• welcome the newcomers into our social grouping, and treat them as “one of us”

Jesus invites you into the same daily journey. What might you gain? Only you can answer this question for yourself. Spend some time this week reflecting not only on the risks of discipleship, but also on its rewards.

A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:

From Pope Francis, on the opening of the Synod October 2021:

The Gospels frequently show us Jesus on a journey; he walks alongside people and listens to the questions and concerns working in their hearts. He shows us that God is not found neat and orderly places, distant from reality, but walks ever at our side. He meets us where we are, on the often rocky road of life. God travels the path of history and shares in the life of humanity are we prepared for the advantage of this journey? How do I live as though I am really on this journey with God?

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

Read this part of chapter 12 of the gospel of John:

Jesus answered: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.

Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.

Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me. I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.” The crowd there heard it and said it was thunder; but others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come for my sake but for yours.”

Sometimes we forget that Jesus was human, just as we are, with the same hopes and fears. In this section of John, we see hints of the internal difficulties he faced. It could not have been easy for him, just as impending events are not always easy with us. Share with Jesus your understanding of his human fears and trepidations, his impending loss of his friends and his very life. Put yourself in his place as he stares down the stark realities of his future. Pick a phrase from this passage that speaks to you, or one that you struggle with. Then share with him a time when you suffered for doing the right thing, and share, too, your temptations to sometimes take the easy way out, because it is sometime so very hard follow in his footsteps.

Poetic Reflection:

Read the following poem by Mary Oliver. What is your response?

“The Journey”

One day you finally knew
what you had to do and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice—
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
around your ankles.
“Mend my life!”
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do—
determined to save
the only life you could save.

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord, help me to understand that I must let go of all that seems to suggest getting somewhere, being someone, having a name and a voice, following a policy and directing people in “my” ways. This is hard, Lord. Help me to remember that what matters is to love.

Reflection on Matthew 16:21–27 from “First Impressions” (2008)

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Jeremiah 20: 7-9 / Psalm 63 / Romans 12: 1-2 / Matthew 16: 21-27

---

by Jude Siciliano, OP:

Dear Preachers:

What would you do to prevent a family member or a loved one from getting hurt? If you thought they were about to make a foolish choice wouldn't you speak up and try to dissuade them; try to get them to rethink what they were about to do?

Of course you would, so would I. That's why we can feel sympathy for Peter today. He is doing what we ourselves would do for a friend. He loves Jesus and is trying to get him to stop all this talk about going to Jerusalem where Jesus predicts he will "suffer greatly" and be killed.

What a sudden turnaround the relationship between Jesus and Peter has taken! In the verses immediately preceding today's (they were last Sunday's gospel) Jesus sings Peter's praises ("Blessed are you Simon son of John....") and ready to give him the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Peter will have authority over Jesus' mission. However, today Jesus turns on Peter, calls him Satan and chases him away. Peter has just taken Jesus aside and rebuked him for talking about his suffering and death. In turn Jesus rebukes Peter publicly. What's going on here? Why has Jesus taken such harsh exception to what Peter has said to him in private? And why does Jesus want the disciples to hear the lesson he is teaching Peter -- and us too!

Some Christians think that being religious should improve their spirits, bodily health and even good fortune. I was listening to a very popular televangelist recently. He was preaching to 10,000 people in a stadium-like church. (As a preacher myself, I felt a moment's envy!) He has a reputation for being a great preacher. He certainly is popular. His message was: if we accept Jesus into our lives, we will receive the good things God is "waiting to give us." It was clear that the "good things" he referred to were financial and personal success. He kept referring to the "blessings" God has for us and the rewards believers will receive -- in this life. No wonder he is such a popular preacher. I felt good after listening to him! Apparently a lot of people who listen to him or similar preachers do too. They seem to believe that faith in Jesus will make life easier. The promises also seem to apply to the believer's spiritual life, as if to say, once you have accepted Christ you will be happy and have fewer doubts and anxieties.

Sounds great!

When people have had a recent conversion or gone through the R.C.I.A. process and have been baptized at the Easter Vigil, they frequently are happy and excited about their faith and their church community. As well they should be! But we know that life doesn't leave us feeling that way for long, soon those newly initiated into the church will have their faith tested by the world to which they must return. We know that's true because that is our experience. We treasure our faith and we do what we can to keep it strong. But even the most devout and active Christians know being a Christian is never easy for very long.

Which takes us back to today's gospel. Peter doesn't understand that, while Jesus is the messiah, still he must continue his mission and that will cause him suffering and death when they arrive in Jerusalem. Peter wants the glory and good times he thinks Jesus and his fame will give those closest to him. Peter doesn't want to hear that -- if he really believes in Jesus and follows the way Jesus is indicating, he too will have to suffer and die for his faith. Jesus spells that out quite clearly for Peter and the disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny self, take up [his/her] cross and follow me." I don't think Jesus would fill an auditorium, attract 10,000 devotees and have his own television show with the message he just announced to Peter and the disciples.

Who wants to hear a message like that?!

There was a story and a picture the other day in our newspaper about a truck driver who has a cross painted on the radiator grill of his truck. He believes the cross is the reason he hasn't had an accident in twenty two years of driving. Other people display St. Christopher medals and statues in their cars. Will those symbols prevent them from having an accident? Is that why we decorate our vehicles with them? That truck driver probably didn't have an accident because he was a careful driver -- and lucky.

There's nothing wrong with medals and statues. Nothing wrong with wearing a cross around our neck, either. When I am shaving in the morning and see the cross around my neck, I hope it reminds me of Jesus' invitation to accept whatever suffering and pain come my way because of the choices I must make if I am his follower.

It is clear we can't take the visible cross out of our religion. We can't take it out of our daily consciousness either. We may not suffer on the same kind of cross Jesus did, or be martyred the way so many who have followed him have been. But still, Jesus tells us we must each take up our cross and follow him -- and the cross costs. The cross will cost if we follow what Paul tells us today:

"Do not conform yourselves to this age; but be transformed
by the renewal of your mind that you may discern what is the
will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect."

Because we are Christians, Paul invites us not to accept the values and thinking of the crowd; nor to buy what the media attempts to convince us we simply must have; nor to leave the formation of our opinions and values to our peers; nor to always accept the latest fads. Being a Christian, Paul suggests, means we will live a different life, one guided by the life and wisdom of Jesus who consistently sought to do God's ways in all things -- all the way up to the cross.

From what Paul tells us we can examine our lives and ask ourselves: do we really think having more possessions will make us happy; that the more productive or educated person is a better person; that being with the majority must mean we are right; that we can rid ourselves of our problems though medication or finding the perfect guru; that being a good Christian will mean we will have no problems? If we believe any of these contemporary "truths" -- then we need to memorize today's gospel and see if it helps us change our thinking and acting.

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 27, 2023

Who is Jesus for me, and how does Jesus impact my life?

Matthew 16:13–20

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 Messiah, 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.”

Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Messiah.

Music Meditations

• “He Will Hold Me Fast”—Keith and Kristin Getty, Selah
• “Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me”—Selah (Contemporary music)
• “Hold Me In Life” (by Huub Oosterhuis and Bernard Huijbers) [YouTube]
• “Ancient Words” (by Lynn DeShazo; sung by Michael W. Smith) [YouTube]
• “Jesus” (by Chris Tomlin) [YouTube]

Opening Prayer

Adapted from “Sacred Space”, a service of the Irish Jesuits

You put the same question to me, Lord: Who do you say that I am? As I pray about your question, your own words echo in me: I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. In times of trouble for me and for the world around me, let your promise, and my faith in that promise sustain me O Lord.

Companions for the Journey

From Jude Siciliano, O.P., in “First Impressions,” a service of the Southern Dominican Province:

When Jesus asked Peter, “But who do you say that I am?” he wasn’t asking Peter to recite a series of doctrines about his identity. He wasn’t inviting him to recite the Nicene Creed we recite at Sunday Mass. That would come later when the Christian community had to address questions that had developed among its communities and when church teaching was challenged in the new lands where it had spread. The creeds and formulas would be necessary—but later. No, Jesus was not asking Peter to work out a christological formula. That’s clear from the beginning of the question, “But you...?” Jesus was inviting Peter to express his own faith. Does he believe in Jesus and what does he believe about Jesus? From his experience of Jesus and through the gift of God’s grace, Peter has come to know that Jesus is the revelation of God to the world. He articulates what the church has come to believe about Christ. The articles of that faith will be developed and taught to inquirers: but first comes Peter, expressing his faith and the faith of the first generation Christians.

Other followers of Christ will have to answer the same question and pass on that faith to their children and those to whom they preach. They will announce to anyone who will listen—who Jesus is and what difference he made in their lives. The creeds will emerge, but the teachings will have little meaning if people have not, in one way or another, answered the question Jesus asks us today, “But who do YOU say that I am?” Jesus isn’t just asking us if we go to church on Sunday; if we send our children to religious education classes or say grace before meals. First of all, he invites us to acknowledge our belief in him and to bear witness to his love and manner of living in the world.

Those who know us usually can detect our preferences. If we say we are big Atlanta Braves fans but never watch a game, wear a team insignia or know who plays first base—people will begin to wonder. If we say we love to read, but all we talk about at social gatherings are the evening TV shows and soaps—people will begin to wonder. If we say we are very concerned about the environment, but never recycle, drive a gas guzzler and keep all the lights on in our homes—people will begin to wonder. If we say we are Christians, yet there is little that signifies Jesus has made any difference in our lives—people will begin to wonder. If we insist our children must go to church with us, but at home they hear us use racial slurs, utter stereotypical comments about the poor and immigrants and gossip about people in our church—our children will begin to wonder: “Are my parents (grandparents, uncles or aunts) really Christians, or do they just go to church?” “But who do you say I am?” Jesus asks us today. What response to the question does our life reveal to those observers around us?

Jesus’ question isn’t just asked of us as individuals. It is posed to our church as well. If our Christian community fits comfortably into the society around it; never raises an objection to public discriminatory policies; never speaks up to represent those who have little power or no voice; welcomes only those who look and act like the established members; is more fussy about ritual and decorum and less concerned about newcomers and how to welcome them and incorporate them into our community and its rituals, then when Jesus asks us, “Church, who do you say that I am?” in reality our answer is, “You are an admirable leader and teacher and a good role model—and that’s it.”

Peter voiced the faith the early church had in Jesus. It was to be the message they proclaimed, “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Those who accepted that message professed their faith in God’s unique presence and revelation manifested in Christ. In accepting Jesus as “the Son of the living God,” and receiving the grace God offered them in Christ, they agreed to change their ways. Jesus was more than a role model for believers. In him God offered humanity the grace to live Christ's life of love and service—especially to serve those Jesus served, the least in the eyes of society.

In response to Jesus’ initial question, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Peter responds, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” People may have had differing opinions, but they seem to have agree that they saw Jesus in the line of the great prophets. His words and life had revealed to them that he must be speaking with the authority of God. High praise indeed! But Jesus disregards those opinions and asks the question more directly to his disciples, “But who do you say that I am?”

The faith Peter and the disciples come to profess in Christ should not be kept to themselves. They must not form a secretive and isolated sect that will strive to avoid contamination from the world. Quite the opposite. Peter speaks the faith of the post-resurrection church. This is the faith Jesus will send them out to proclaim. Peter will bear the keys, like Eliakim in our first reading, who carried “the key of the House of David.” Peter will have the mission of stewardship to lead the early church by his preaching, teaching, example and his ultimate martyrdom. Peter’s faith will be accepted by many and those who profess it will be strengthened as they face persecution; the long wait for Jesus’ return; internal conflicts that would shake the church to its foundation, and pastoral disputes. Peter and the disciples will be instructed to do as Jesus did for them; to be a servant church and wash the feet of others. Their task will be to lead others to accept Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and to sustain and serve the community as its members attempt to live out the faith in the One they profess.

Jesus said he would build his church on rock. Sometimes it feels that the church is less on rock and more on sand. We have all sorts of divisions that distract our energies and create an atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust. It doesn’t feel like a rock-solid church, does it? A quick survey of our history reminds us that we aren’t going through anything those before us didn’t also go through in one way or another. From the very beginning we have had both saints and sinners among our popes, bishops, priests, religious and laity. At times it is very discouraging. At those low moments, when we feel our dreams and ideals are under siege, we might want to repeat as a mantra what Jesus promised, “...the gates of the nether world shall not prevail against it.”

We give praise today that, despite our less-than-stellar performance as the people of God, Christ has not abandoned us. We can praise God today for the prophetic leaders we have had in our past and have today who: speak out against war and the death penalty; defend all life; protect the rights of those displaced by famine and civil war; provide shelter for the homeless and abused, etc. In our church, while there are signs of our shaky faith, there are also ample reminders that Christ is very much with his church. Just as he promised he would be.

Further reading:

• Commentary on Matthew 16:13-20 from “Living Space” >>
• Structure of Matthew Chapter 16 >>

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

Who do YOU say that I am?

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• Has anyone ever asked you for an opinion on something and you at first responded with what the world suggests, or with what authorities are recommending?
  Why was it hard to state your own opinion?
• Like the disciples in this story, we tend to undervalue “heroes” from our own present time in favor of those from times past. Who are my “heroes”?
• Jesus asks about what others say, but he is really interested in what Peter has to say:
  What does my current culture say about Jesus?
  What does the Church say about Jesus?
  What do I say when Jesus asks me the question in my heart?
  What is Jesus to me?
  How difficult is it for me to rely on my own relationship with Jesus to answer these questions?
  How do I live out my answer?
• Belief is expressed not only in words, but in behavior. What do I believe about Jesus?
  What do my actions and attitudes say about what I believe?
• In the text there are many opinions concerning Jesus and several ways of expressing faith. Today, also there are many diverse opinions concerning Jesus. Which are the opinions of our own CC@S community concerning Jesus?
• In this synodal year, we are called to reflect and act on what we as a community believe Jesus stands for.
  What mission results for us from this?
• What qualities might Jesus see in me?
  What title might he give me?
  Will it take time for me to grow into his mission?
• Recall a time when you were entrusted with a serious responsibility. How did you feel?
• A biblical scholar said, “The ‘Rock’ is not Peter; it is Peter’s faith” on which Jesus built his Church. What do you think this means?
• From Daniel J Harrington, S.J.:
  What ironies are involved in Jesus’ calling Simon the “rock”?
  When and how did Peter become the rock on which the church is built?
  Is it because of his strengths or because of his weaknesses, or both?
• Peter was given power and authority. How do you interpret that power in practical terms?
  What are the downsides of that power?
• In what ways have the successors of Peter lived out the imperative given by Jesus?
  Who is your favorite pope? Why? Had he made mistakes?
  Who is your least favorite pope? Why? Had he made mistakes?
• What do you consider the authority of the Catholic Church concerning sin and forgiveness?
• Someone else cannot answer life’s critical questions for us. Have I ever abdicated my own responsibility for formulating answers for myself—in other words, have I relied too excessively on religious or civil authorities, on “experts” or on friends and relatives?
  How have I made use of the advice or guidance others have given me and how has that advice impacted my decision making?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

Adapted from “First Impressions”, a service of the Southern Dominican Province:

Only in Matthew’s Gospel is the word “ekklesia” found. It literally means the “called-out gathering.” The “called community” was formed by the earthly Jesus to continue his work. The “ekklesia” focuses on Jesus’ identity and authority, not on Peter’s. The church is not simply about a future world, but about being signs of the kingdom’s presence here and now. As Jesus proclaimed, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Jesus’ question: “Who do you say that I am?”  will define who I am; how I live; what I do; whom I become in my life.” I take some time to answer carefully this very question Jesus was asking of his disciples.

Our individual responses to Jesus’ question will, of course, bind us more profoundly to Him. They will, in turn, bind us more closely to one another so that we will not only give an individual, but also a communal witness to Christ – for we are the “ekklesia,” “the called out gathering,” called to effectively impact our world, so that others might be stirred to ask us important questions too, like: “Who do you say Jesus is?” “What does he mean to you?” How would I or my church answer them?

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/ Imagination:

From “Sacred Space”, a service of the Irish Jesuits:

Suppose that Jesus suddenly put his question to me in my prayer today, what would I say? Let me be honest with him, no matter if I feel ashamed of what I come up with. Jesus reads my heart long before I speak. Perhaps he then invited me to chat with Peter, who got the formula right in this scene, but in other places tries to argue Jesus out of his passion, making Jesus so angry as to call him ‘Satan’. Peter also in a little while will deny that he even knows Jesus! But Lord, let me see that Peter’s weakness is the making of him: he finally learns not to trust in himself but in you alone. After the resurrection when you question him, he is honest in saying; You know that I love you’. And that is enough.

Let his example help me to learn your forgiving love through my weaknesses and let me love you ever more deeply…

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions

From “Faith Book”, a service of the Southern Dominican Province:

Peter got it right. Jesus is the Messiah, the one who had come to liberate not only those enslaved by Rome, but all who are poor and oppressed. His liberating power was handed on to Peter and his companions and is our responsibility today. We are to loose those who are bound and to bind the powers of those who threaten the freedom of God’s children in any way.

So we ask ourselves:
What do I need to ask Jesus to liberate me from?
How can I help another experience a similar liberation?

A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:

Not just Peter, but all of those disciples were the early church. I am not just a follower of the Church, I am Church. Do I speak and serve in love? Do I reflect the face of Christ to others? I plan one or two ways this week to proclaim Christ to a loved one. I plan one or two ways this week to serve a stranger in Christ’s name. I make a resolution to follow through on my plans.

Poetic Reflection:

How does the following poem from the Rev. Ed Ingebretsen, S.J. illustrate the difficulty of responding to the question “Who do You say that I am”?

“Lonely Christ”

Lonely Christ
I pray to you.
You are a puzzle to me
as those I love
always are.

My soul is at odds
with the words.
What mad reach of mine
touches any thread of you?
Or what of mine, arms or eyes,
ever shares with people
where they may lie—
as they always do—
in a hard place!

What of mine shall make good
their taking of a breath,
their rising, caring, feeding
their sleeping in fear—
what shall make good
their slight faith,
their enormous promises
made in iron
for a child, man, a woman—

what of mine shall be with the people
as they caress a special grief
fondled again and again
In bludgeoned love?

What do I bring
with which to clutch
the merest hint of your shadow?

Closing Prayer

(Found on the internet for the feast of St John Chrysostom)

Holy Father, send Your Divine Enlightener into the hearts of all Your faithful, filling us with the strength to fulfil our mission as the followers of the Chair of St Peter. And most of all, we pray Lord Holy God, to inspire and light the way of our Holy Father, Francis. Sustain and guide him, keep him in health and strength, to lead Your people by the Light of the Way and the Truth. Holy Father, have mercy on us, Holy Spirit guide and lead us, Lord Jesus Christ be our intercessor and teacher, amen.

Commentary on Matthew 16:13-20 from “Living Space”

We now reach a high point in Matthew’s narrative. More than any of the other gospels, his is a Gospel of the Church. (Mark emphasizes discipleship; Luke the communication of God’s love and compassion; John unity with God through Jesus.)

We find Jesus and his disciples in the district of Caesarea Philippi. This is not the fine city of Caesarea built by Herod the Great on the shore of the Mediterranean. It was a town, rebuilt by Herod’s son Philip, who called it after the emperor Tiberius Caesar and himself. It lay just to the north of the Sea of Galilee and near the slopes of Mount Hermon. It had originally been called Paneas, after the Greek god Pan and is known today as Banias.

The area was predominantly pagan, dominated by Rome. In a sense, therefore, it was both an unexpected yet fitting place for Jesus’ identity to be proclaimed. He was, after all, not just for his own people but for the whole world.

Jesus begins by asking his disciples who people think he really is. They respond with some of the speculations that were going round: he was John the Baptist resurrected from the dead (Herod’s view, for instance) or Elijah (whose return was expected to herald the imminent coming of the Messiah) or Jeremiah or some other of the great prophets.

The Jews at this time expected a revival of the prophetic spirit which had been extinct since Malachi. John was regarded by many of the people as a prophet, although he denied that he was the expected prophet, often thought to be Elijah returned. The early Christians saw Jesus as a prophet but with the appearance of prophecy as a charism in their communities the term was dropped in his case.

Interestingly, the people did not seem to think that Jesus himself was on a par with these ‘greats’ of their history. We do tend to undervalue the leaders of our own time when compared with those of the past.

“And you,” Jesus goes on, “who do you say I am?” It was a moment of truth, a very special moment in his disciples’ relationship with their Master. Simon speaks up: “You are the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the living God.” It is a huge step forward for Peter and his companions. As we shall see, it is not yet a total recognition of his identity or mission. But Jesus is no mere rabbi, no mere prophet, but the long-awaited Messiah and Saviour King who would deliver Israel. It is an exciting moment in their relationship with him. And it is only in Matthew that Peter calls him “Son of God”.

The focus now shifts immediately to Simon. He is praised for his insight but Jesus makes clear that it comes from divine inspiration and is not a mere deduction. A ‘mystery’, in the Scripture sense, is being uncovered.

And now comes the great promise. Simon from now on is to be called ‘Peter’, a play on the word for ‘rock’ (kepha in Aramaic, petra/petros in Greek), for he will become the rock on which the “church” will be built, a rock which will stand firm against all attacks on it. A promise which must have sounded very daring at the time it was written but which 2,000 years have again and again vindicated. ‘Peter’ in either its Aramaic or Hebrew was not a previously known personal name.

The term ‘church’ only appears twice in Matthew and not at all in the other three gospels. The Hebrew word qahal which in Greek is rendered as ekklesia (‘ekklhsia), means ‘an assembly called together’. It was used often in the Old Testament to indicate the community of the Chosen People.

“By using this term ekklesia side by side with ‘Kingdom of Heaven’, Jesus shows that this eschatological community (community of the ‘end-times’) is to have its beginnings here on earth in the form of an organised society whose leader he now appoints.” (Jerusalem Bible, loc. cit.)

And Simon is given power and authority, the “keys of the Kingdom”, all that he will need to make the Kingdom a reality. His authority and that of the ‘church’ is the authority of Jesus himself. Whatever Peter and the church formally decide is immediately ratified by God; they are his appointed agents.

Lastly, they are strictly ordered not to tell anyone else that Jesus is the Messiah. The people are not ready to hear it; they have their own expectations which are very different from the Messiah that Jesus is going to be. The disciples themselves have a totally wrong idea as becomes immediately clear in what follows.

From the moment that they recognise Jesus as Messiah, he begins to prepare them for what is going to happen. “[The Son of Man] must go to Jerusalem to suffer greatly at the hands of the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and to be put to death, and raised up on the third day.” This is the first of three ominous predictions.

After the euphoria of knowing their Master was the Messiah, all their dreams and hopes are shattered by these terrible revelations. It is hard for us to imagine the impact these words must have had. Peter, who had just covered himself in glory and been appointed leader, almost patronisingly takes Jesus aside, “God forbid that any such thing ever happen to you!”

For him and the others this was an unthinkable scenario for the Messiah they were all waiting for. How much more shocked Peter must have been at Jesus’ reaction. “Get out of my sight, you Satan! You are trying to make me trip and fall. You are not judging by God’s standards but by man’s.” The man who was just now called a Rock is accused of being Satan’s advocate! Instead of being a rock of stability, he is seen as a stumbling block in the way of Jesus.

Peter is seen as doing the very work of the devil in trying to divert Jesus from the way he was called to go, the way in which God’s love would be revealed to us, the way in which we would be liberated for the life of the Kingdom.

It will take time before Peter and the others both understand and accept the idea of a suffering and dying Messiah. It will not happen until after the resurrection. Before that the Rock will be guilty of a shameful betrayal of the Man who put such trust in him.

We too can ask ourselves to what extent we accept Jesus the rejected, suffering, dying and rising Messiah.

Structure of Matthew Chapter 16

Structure of Matthew chapter 16 can be divided into five parts:

1. The Pharisees demand a sign and Jesus responds (verses 1-4)

2. Jesus' warning to avoid the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees (verses 5-12)

3. Peter's profession of the Christ and the Son of God founds His Church (verses 13-20)

4. The first prediction of the Passion (verses 21-23)

5. Jesus states the conditions of discipleship (verses 24-28)

Matthew 16:1-4 ~ The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand a Sign from Heaven
1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came and, to test him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven.  2 He said to them in reply, "(in the evening you say, Tomorrow will be fair, for the sky is red'; 3 and, in the morning, Today will be stormy, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to judge the appearance of the sky, but you cannot judge the signs of the times.)  4 An evil and unfaithful [adulterous] generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Then he left them and went away. (..) this passage does not appear in all manuscripts; [..] = literal translation (The Interlinear Bible: Greek-English, vol. IV, pages 46-47).

This is the second time Jesus has been asked to produce a "sign" that His authority comes from God (12:38), but this time it isn't just the Pharisees and scribes who are asking. The Sadducees have also come from Jerusalem to demand that Jesus produce a sign from heaven to authenticate His claims (i.e., 9:6). Both groups are refusing to accept His exorcisms and healings as evidence of the authentication of His claims. That they are united in their desire to "test" Jesus (verse 1) may suggest a link to Satan who also tested Jesus (Mt 4:1-11). Jesus has already referred to the Pharisees and scribes who oppose Him as the "sons" of Satan when He called them a "brood of vipers" and accused them of being evil (Mt 12:34).

Question: What did Jesus tell the Pharisees and scribes who demanded a sign in 12:38-42?
Answer: Jesus called them an "evil and unfaithful/adultrous generation" and told them no sign would be given except the "sign of Jonah."

The Sadducees were rivals of the Pharisees; both groups competed for the approval and support of the people. Most of the chief priests were Sadducees. This is the first of several occasions where the two groups will be united in their opposition to Jesus. 

Question: Why are they asking for a "sign from heaven"/from God and what kind of sign are they demanding as proof that His authority comes from God if His words of healing of the sick, restoring of the physical disabled, casting out demons and raising the dead are not enough?
Answer: Their purpose is to discredit Jesus in front of the people. They are probably asking for a sign like the Theophany at Sinai.

Matthew 16:2-3 ~ He said to them in reply, "[in the evening you say, Tomorrow will be fair, for the sky is red'; 3 and, in the morning, Today will be stormy, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to judge the appearance of the sky, but you cannot judge the signs of the times.]  The bracketed passage is not found in a number of important Greek manuscripts of Matthew, but it is similar to a passage in Luke 12:54-56.

Question: What is Jesus' response to their demand for a sign from God in this passage?
Answer: He tells them they apparently know how to read the signs of the weather but cannot read the "signs of the times," meaning they cannot or will not interpret His miracles as signs of His authority and the beginning of the Messianic Age as predicted in the writings of the prophets.

Matthew 16:4 ~ An evil and unfaithful (adulterous) generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Then he left them and went away. 

Question: When did Jesus make this same charge previously and what is significant about Jesus using the charge of adultery in the literal translation? See the chart "Symbolic Images of the Old Testament Prophets."
Answer: Jesus' accusation that His generation is "adulterous," means that they are unfaithful to Yahweh who is Israel's divine Bridegroom; it is another symbolic image of the prophets "marriage" imagery for Israel's covenant relationship with God. When the Israelites become "unfaithful" to their covenant obligations they are behaving like an adulterous wife. Jesus made the same charge in 12:39.

Question: Once again Jesus tells His opponents that the only sign they will be given is the "sign of Jonah." What is that sign? See 12:39-40 and CCC 994.
Answer: Using the "sign" of the prophet Jonah who was inside the belly of the whale (or great fish) for three days before he was released, Jesus predicted His death and Resurrection as the only sign they will see.

Matthew 16:5-12 ~ Jesus' Warning against the Teaching of the Failed Leadership of the Old Covenant
5 In coming to the other side of the sea, the disciples had forgotten to bring bread.  6 Jesus said to them, "Look out, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  7 They concluded among themselves, saying, "It is because we have brought no bread."  8 When Jesus became aware of this he said, "You of little faith, why do you conclude among yourselves that it is because you have no bread?  9 Do you not yet understand, and do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many wicker baskets you took up?  10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up?  11 How do you not comprehend that I was not speaking to you about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 

There are some amusing elements to this exchange between Jesus and His disciples. Jesus is still focused on His confrontation with the Pharisees and Sadducees and uses leaven as a symbol of their false interpretation of the Law and their evil influence that spreads like an infection in the same way yeast expands dough. The disciples, however, are more concerned about their empty stomachs "their focus is more on the material than the spiritual.

Question: How does Jesus point out that it is ridiculous for them to be concerned about the lack of bread?
Answer: He reminds them of the two miracle feedings. If He can feed more than five thousand and more than four thousand He can certainly provide for their needs.

When Jesus repeats His warning, they suddenly understand that Jesus is comparing leaven to the false teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.(1) A small amount of leaven can ferment the whole batch of dough (13:33) but the wrong amount can also cause the dough to go bad (1 Cor 5:6; Gal 5:9) just as the false doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees threatens to misguide the people (Mt 15:14).

Matthew 16:13-20 ~ St. Peter's Profession of the Christ and Jesus Proclaims the Founding of His Church
13 When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"  14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  16 Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."  17 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.  18 And so I say to you, you are Peter [Petros], and upon this rock [petra] I will build my Church [ekklesia], and the gates of the netherworld [Hades] shall not prevail against it.  19 I will give you the keys of 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."  20 Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Messiah. [..] = literal translation (The Interlinear Bible: Greek-English, vol. IV, pages 47-48 ).

Jesus led His disciples to the region of Caesarea Philippi, about 40 km (more than 20 miles) north of the Sea of Galilee). Caesarea Philippi was a town (also described as a collection of villages in Mk 8:27) located on the southern slope of Mount Hermon, strategically located on the border with Syria. It was located in what had been the territory of the Israelite tribe of Dan that was at one time the northern boundary of the Promised Land. At this time it was part of the tetrarchy of Herod the Great's son Philip and had a largely Gentile population. It was near the site of one of the springs that was a source of the Jordan River, the site of which was considered to be a spiritual location from the time of the Canaanite inhabitants who built shrines to Baal-gad (Josh 11:17; 12:7; 13:5) and Baal-hermon (Judg 3:3; 1 Chr 5:23). After the Greek conquest in the 4th century BC, the Greeks dedicated a shrine to Pan (pagan god of nature, shepherds, flocks, the spring and fertility) at the site where the headwaters of the Jordan River emerged from the ground (Josephus, Antiquities, 15.10.3 [364]). They also named the nearly town Panias after the Greek god. Then, in the latter part of the 1st century BC, Herod the Great built a temple to Caesar Augustus near the source of the Jordan River. When Philip became the ruler of the region, he rebuilt the small town of Panias into a Hellenistic city, naming it after the Roman Caesar and adding his own name.(2)  In choosing this rocky mountain location to announce the foundation of His Church upon Peter and Peter's proclamation of faith in Jesus as the divine Messiah, Jesus was reclaiming holy ground that had been usurped by the pagans.

Question: Using His favorite title for Himself, what does Jesus ask the disciples and why do they respond the way they do?
Answer: He asks what was the common view of the people concerning His identity, and they respond that some think He is John the Baptist returned from the dead like Herod Antipas (Mt 14:2), others think He is the prophet Elijah who was prophesied to herald the coming of the Messiah (Mal 3:23/4:5), while others say Jesus has come in the spirit of the prophet Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.

All of the men mentioned by the disciples were prophets. While there had been many false prophets, the people realized that the true spirit of prophecy had been absent from the people of God since the last prophet Malachi in the 5th century BC. The coming of God's supreme prophet as promised in Deuteronomy 18:15-19 and an outpouring of God's Spirit (Ez 36:26-27; Joel 3:1-2) were the signs that the people believed heralded the coming of the Messianic Age. Jesus was teaching with authority, speaking in the symbolic language of the prophets and performing miracles and symbolic acts like the prophets.

Question: Does Jesus ever refer to Himself as a prophet? See Mt 13:57 and Lk 13:33.
Answer:  Yes, Jesus referred to Himself as a prophet during His visit to Nazareth and will again before He goes to Jerusalem to die.

Then Jesus asks His disciples what they believe about His true identity.

Question: How does St. Peter respond to Jesus' question concerning His true identity?
Answer: Peter confesses that He is not only the Messiah but that He is the Son of the Living God.

Question: What does Peter mean using these titles for Jesus in his confession of faith? See CCC 441-42.
Answer: While the usual meaning of the title "son of God" in the Old Testament referred to a form of adoption as "sons" of God for angels, prophets, the children of Israel, Davidic kings, etc., this is not the way Peter offers his confession of Jesus' identity. It is Jesus' response which tells us that Peter understands Jesus' true identity as the divine Son of God the Father.

Matthew 16:17 ~ 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 (emphasis added).

Question: What does Jesus' response reveal to the reader?
Answer: Acknowledging Peter's confession of faith, Jesus blesses him and tells the assembled disciples that Simon-Peter received this knowledge not from any human person ("flesh and blood") but, by the grace of God the Father, Peter has received a divine revelation of Jesus' true nature.

Matthew 16:18 ~ And so I say to you, you are Peter [Petros], and upon this rock [petra] I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld [Hades] shall not prevail against it.

Jesus would have been speaking in Aramaic and the Aramaic translation of the key words for "rock" in Jesus' statement would have been in English: "You are the Rock [Kepa] and upon this rock [kepa] I will build my Church." In response to Peter's confession of faith, Jesus reaffirms the new name He gave him when Jesus first met him on the banks of the Jordan River before He began His ministry in the Galilee. At that time He said, "You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Kephas" (which is translated Peter) (Jn 1:42; emphasis added; also see Mk 3:16 and Lk 6:14 for evidence an earlier name change). 

Kephas is the Greek transliteration of the Aramaic word kepa which means "rock."(3) In the Greek text Matthew uses the masculine Petros for the Greek feminine word for "rock" which is petra.  Bible scholars and historians have not found any evidence that either Kepha or Petros were used as personal names prior to Jesus conferring the name on Simon as the leader of the Apostles to symbolize his change in destiny from humble fisherman to the foundation stone of the Messiah's community of disciples (NJB Study Edition, page 1637, footnote "f").

Notice that Jesus identified the name of Peter's father as "John" (Yehohanan in Hebrew) in John 1:42. This same name for Peter's father is given in John 21:15, 16 and 17. However, in verse 17 Jesus calls him Simeon bar Jonah (Matthew uses the Aramaic word for son, "bar" instead of the Hebrew, "ben"). This is the sixth time Jesus has mentioned the Galilean prophet Jonah (see Mt 12:39, 40, 41 twice, and 16:4 or the chart in handout 1 of Lesson 16), symbolically linking the prophet Jonah to Jesus' mission. This time Jesus links Jonah to Peter's mission. 

Question: If Simon-Peter was the son of a man named "John," then why did Jesus call Peter "Simon son of Jonah"? How are Peter's mission and Jonah's mission alike?
Answer: Jonah was a Galilean who was sent by God to the Gentile people of Nineveh, the capital city of the region's super-power, the Assyrian Empire, to tell them to repent and to acknowledge the God of Israel. Jesus will send the Galilean, Simon-Peter, to Rome, the capital city of the region's super-power, the Roman Empire, to tell the Gentiles of the Roman world to repent and to accept Jesus as Lord-God and Savior.

Jesus changed Simon's name to Kepha "Rock, Petros in Greek and Peter in the English transliteration of the Greek name. A change in the name of a servant of God signifies a change in destiny, as in Hoshea's name change to Yehoshua/Joshua (Num 13:16). In the Old Testament "rock" was a word used to describe Abraham as the physical father from whom the children of Israel were hewn (Is 51:1-2). Rock is not just an adjective used to describe Peter as the spiritual father of the New Covenant children of God. Jesus uses the word as a personal name signifying a change in Simon's destiny as the leader and foundation "rock" of Jesus' Church (CCC 881). The Greek text uses the word ekklesia, meaning "called out." It is a word meant to define Jesus' assembly of believers. It is a word that in English is best translated as "Church" and expresses same meaning as the Hebrew word for the assembly of the chosen people who were the kahal, the "called out" ones "those called out of the world and into covenant with Yahweh.(4)

and the gates of the netherworld [Hades] shall not prevail against it.  Hades is the Greek word for the abode of the dead; in Hebrew the realm of the dead is Sheol. This realm of the dead was conceived of as a walled city in which its inhabitants were imprisoned. In this statement Jesus promises that His Church will not be overcome by the power of death "the Church of His heavenly kingdom will overcome death.

Matthew 16:19 ~ I will give you the keys of 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.

Question: What three spiritual gifts does Peter receive in Jesus' blessing in verses 17-19?
Answer: Peter has been given divine insight, power and authority. He has the authority to forgive sins or to bind sins (thus controlling the entrance into the heavenly kingdom) and is commissioned as the leader of the Apostles and the entire community of believers that will become the New Covenant Church.

Question: Jesus has elevated Simon-Peter above his fellow Apostles to be the leader of Jesus' ministers and the Vicar of His Kingdom. How is the office of the Davidic Vicar/Prime Minister Eliakim described in Isaiah 22:20-25?
Answer: 

• He wore a garment that identified his high office (verse 21)

• He was a "father" to the people of the kingdom (verse 21)

• As the Vicar of the King, the Davidic chief minister kept the "key of the house of David" (verse 22) 

• The key was his sign of authority and gave him the power to "open and shut" "make binding decisions for the good of the kingdom (verse 22) 

• He is responsible for the glory of his family "from the least to the greatest member ""all the little dishes, from bowls to jugs" (verse 24)

In the same way, Peter is now called to serve as the Vicar of Christ the King and have authority over His Kingdom of heaven on earth, the Church "the "household/family of Christ. Jesus' giving Peter the "keys of the kingdom of heaven" is Peter's official elevation to the office of Vicar of Christ's Kingdom and the shepherd of the whole flock (also see Jn 21:15-17; CCC 553). Peter's office, established by Jesus Christ and the pastoral office of the other Apostles as Christ's lesser ministers forms an apostolic college that belongs to the foundation of the Church. These are offices founded by Christ that are continued in the primacy of the Pope and the universal Magisterium of the bishops (CCC 869, 880-81).

Question: The responsibilities of Peter's high office have been passed down to Christ's Vicars who have succeeded him. How is the authority of the Popes of the Catholic Church, the Vicars of Christ who have succeeded St. Peter, the same as the Davidic Vicars?

Answer:

• The Pope wears a garment that identifies his high office

• He is a “father” to the people of Christ’s kingdom “the Church

• As the Vicar of the King, the Pope has the symbolic “keys of the Kingdom Jesus entrusted to Peter

• The keys are his sign of authority and give him the power to “bind and loose” “make binding decisions for the good of the Church

• He is responsible for the glory of his family, the community of the world-wide Church “from the least to the greatest members

Question: Unlike the Davidic Vicar in Isaiah 22:22, Peter will be given the "keys" plural. What are the two keys that are in Peter's control?
Answer: The two keys refer to the power Peter has to "bind and loose" sins, controlling the keys that give access to the kingdom of heaven "the key that releases man from the gates of death in Sheol/Hades and the key that provides entry into the gates of heaven.

Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

The authority to "bind and loose" will be repeated to Peter and the college of Apostles (Mt 18:18) and is reaffirmed after Jesus' Resurrection when Jesus breaths the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and tells them: "Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained" (Jn 20:21-23). 

Question: What authority did Jesus give Peter and the Apostles and their successors in using the metaphors of binding and loosing? See CCC 553, 1441-45.
Answer: The power to bind and loose is exercised by Christ's Vicar and the Magisterium:

• To forgive sins and to pronounce penance for sins to reconcile sinners to the Church

• To give authoritative teaching and make judgments concerning correct doctrine

• To discipline the congregation of the faithful when some fall into error by imposing or later lifting the ban of excommunication

From this time forward, the acknowledgement of Jesus' divine sonship will become the confession of apostolic faith revealed by God, first spoken by Peter and the Apostles and disciples, and repeated by the faithful across the world today; it is on the rock of this faith, confessed by Peter, that Christ built His Church (CCC 424).

Matthew 16:20 ~ Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Messiah.  According to the Gospel of St. John, this is the second year of Jesus' ministry. Jesus warns the disciples not to reveal His true identity. Such a declaration would serve to intensify the enmity of the Pharisees and Sadducees and it is not yet time for the climax of salvation history's great drama of the revelation of the Messiah. However, now that His disciples know His true identity, Jesus will begin to prepare them for the traumatic events they are destined to experience.

Matthew 16:21-23 ~ Jesus' First Prediction of the Passion
21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.  22 Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you."  23 He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

Verse 21 announces a turning point in Jesus' ministry. This is the first of three predictions that Jesus gives concerning His Passion (also see Mt 17:22-23; 20:17-19). In sharing this secret with the disciples, Jesus is correcting the common misperception that the Messiah is coming in triumph and glory to vanquish Israel's enemies and to re-establish the Davidic kingdom on earth just as it had been in the past in the glory days of kings David and Solomon. Jesus' revelation of His suffering and death in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies of the Suffering Servant (Is 52:13-53:12) marks a new phase in Jesus' ministry, as Matthew introduces with the phrase "From that time on ..." (Mt 16:21). See the chart Isaiah's Suffering Servant fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth.

The reference to the "third day" in verse 21, in addition to being a link to the "sign of Jonah" may also be meant to recall Hosea 6:1-2: In their affliction, they shall look for me: "Come, let us return to the LORD, for it is he who has rent, but he will heal us; he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds. He will revive us after two days; on the third day he will raise us up, to live in his presence.

Question: Why does Peter resist what Jesus has told the disciples about His suffering and death, and why does Jesus rebuke him so harshly? Hint: Peter may be thinking of the fate of other chief priests opposed God's plan in favor of their own (see Lev 10:1-2).
Answer: Peter now understands that Jesus is the divine Messiah "He is God Himself come to gather His scattered people and fulfill the prophecy of Ezekiel chapter 34. Peter knows the Temple hierarchy has no power over the Christ and so he cannot comprehend why Jesus would allow Himself to be killed by those in authority over the Church of the Sinai Covenant when He could simply consume them in holy fire like the rebellious priestly sons of Aaron. Jesus rebukes Peter because he has voiced opposition to God's plan when he should be humbly accepting God's plan and assisting Jesus in His mission.

The Hebrew word satan means adversary. Whenever one stands as an adversary to God's plan for man's salvation that person is indeed acting as Satan in human form. Jesus' rebuke of Peter is similar to His rebuke of Satan in Matthew 4:10.

Matthew 16:24-28 ~ Jesus States the Conditions of Discipleship
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.  25 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.  26 What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?  27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.  28 Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Jesus uses the image of a cross, an instrument of death in the execution of criminals, as a shocking metaphor for the obedience of discipleship. 

Question: What is Jesus condition for true discipleship?
Answer: The willingness to disown one's self interest to the point of being willing to die for Jesus.

Verse 27 is a prophecy of the return of Christ (the Parousia) after His Ascension and the Last Judgment, but in the next verse Jesus says that there are those standing in His presence who will witness the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. The coming in His glory and the coming of His Kingdom are two different events.

Question: What is "the Kingdom" of Jesus Christ in verse 28? See Mt 13:38 and 41.
Answer: According to the Parable of the Weeds and the Wheat, the Kingdom of the Son of Man is the world and the Church is the place where His kingdom is manifested.

Jesus' sovereignty over the world will be established in His glorious Resurrection when He has defeated sin and death. His sovereignty over the world precedes His Second Coming in glory in the event of the Parousia. Those who will live to see the Son of Man "coming in His Kingdom" are those who will live to see His glorious Resurrection and Ascension. The phrase the Son of Man coming in his kingdom is probably also a reference to Daniel's vision: I saw One like a son of man coming on the clouds of heaven; when he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, he received dominion, glory, and kingship; nations and peoples of every language serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed (Dan 7:13-14). Jesus will refer to this passage at His trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin (Mt 26:64; Mk 14:61-64).