2017 09.17 Matthew 16:13-28 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. 21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you. 23 But he turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things. 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, If any want to become my followers, let them deny 1
themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? 27 For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. 28 Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. 2
Get Behind Me One of my best friends at my old church was named Peter. He s the one who persuaded me to teach Bible study in the youth group at that church. Peter also taught Bible study. However, our methods were quite different. Whereas my Bible study was conversational in nature, Peter s approach to Bible study was more... physical. Peter wasn t shy about meting out punishments in the form of, for example, push-ups, for bad behavior like talking out of turn. At the weekly teachers meetings the teachers would get together and share some of what was going on in their class. It was at one of these meetings that Peter referred to one of his students these were middle school students as an idiot savant [SLIDE]. I think we have a good sense of what idiot means. It s not a compliment. A savant, however, is the opposite a person of great knowledge or skill in some specialized field. An idiot savant refers to someone who is mentally handicapped in some way but who displays exceptional skill or talent in one specific area, usually music or mathematics. According to Peter, his student Jennifer was an idiot savant. Most of the time in Bible study her head was in the clouds. She didn t show much interest in, or awareness of, whatever Peter was teaching. But every once in a while she would wake from her daydreaming and say something jaw-droppingly brilliant. It would come without warning, like a volcano erupting. From her usual quiet stillness Jennifer would suddenly erupt and spew forth a sentence or two of profound wisdom. That s sort of like the disciple Peter in today s passage. We don t think of Peter as someone with a gift for words. Quite the opposite. Peter often speaks without thinking and then gets himself into trouble. On the Sea of Galilee, he tells Jesus to command him to step from the boat out on to the water, only to sink under waves of doubt. At the Last Supper, when Jesus tells his disciples that they will all desert him, 3
Peter vows, Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you (Mt. 26:34). As if that were not enough, he adds, Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you (Mt. 26:35). That vow doesn t end so well for Peter. But here in Matthew 16 Peter is a fount of divine wisdom. Jesus asks to know who people say that the Son of Man is. They tell him, Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets (Mt. 16:14). But who do you say that I am? Jesus asks his disciples (Mt. 16:15). Perhaps because of the other disciples reluctance to speak or because of Peter s boldness, or both, Peter alone answers, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God (Mt. 16:16). Holy cow! Stop the presses! This is amazing! Jesus himself seems stunned by Peter s answer. He exclaims, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven (Mt. 16:17). That s Jesus polite way of saying, You didn t come up with that answer on your own, Peter. That was God speaking through you. Last week, in Matthew 15, I mentioned that Jesus encounter with the Canaanite woman took place beyond the boundaries of ancient Israel, in the district of Tyre and Sidon in what is now Lebanon. Today s passage is set in another far flung corner of the Roman Empire [SLIDE]. Caesarea Philippi was located directly east of the ancient Israelite city of Dan, which was one of two principal locations of Israelite idol worship. In Jesus time, in the first century, Caesarea Philippi was a thoroughly Roman city [SLIDE]. Its original name was Paneas, after the Greek and Roman nature god, Pan. The emperor Caesar Augustus gave the city to Herod the Great. After Herod s death, control of the city fell to Herod s son Philip, who renamed the city Caesarea Philippi, after the emperor and himself. Regardless of the name, the city was a center for Pan 4
worship [3 SLIDES]. Even today you can still see the remains of a temple of Pan that was set into the rocky cliffs. My point in sharing this history is not just that it makes for interesting background, but that it sheds light on why Jesus asks the disciples a question about his identity here in this place, in this thoroughly Roman city. Jesus sets his revelation as Messiah and Son of the living God in the context of, and in contrast to, pagan worship and the cult of the emperor. The Son of the living God is a title that puts the lie to the emperor s claim to be the son of God. Jesus, the Son of the living God, does not sit on a throne in Rome but reigns over the kingdom of heaven. His kingdom is an alternative kingdom to the empire of Rome. An alternative to Rome s violence. An alternative to Rome s social hierarchy that valued some people above others. An alternative to Rome s economic exploitation of conquered peoples. Against the rocky cliffs of Caesarea Philippi, with its stone temples dedicated to Pan, Jesus lays the foundation of his church [SLIDE]. It s a church built on the rock of Simon son of Jonah, whom Jesus renames Peter, or in the Greek Petros, meaning rock. To Simon Peter the rock, Jesus gives the keys of the kingdom of heaven. From what we know of Peter s character, giving the keys of the kingdom of heaven to someone who s been shown to act impulsively doesn t seem like the best idea. Reading this verse, I can t help but think of my nephew Jack, who just turned 16 years old and received his learner s permit to drive. A learner s permit allows you to drive as long as a licensed driver accompanies you. Now, Jack is a good kid. He s mature and responsible, but he s always been accident prone. He s broken his finger at least once and his arm multiple times. I picture my brother Mike and his wife Linda, Jack s parents, handing Jack the keys to the family car. It doesn t seem like a good idea. Nor does it seem a good idea to give the keys of the kingdom of heaven 5
to Peter who has shown all the impulsivity of a teenager. That Peter is promised the keys of the kingdom of heaven has inspired images of Peter as the gatekeeper of heaven [SLIDE], the one who decides who s in and who s out. Of course, this is a far too literal reading. Jesus isn t referring here to the afterlife. The kingdom of heaven is more than just a place. It s a way of being, a way of living in the world that embodies the way of Jesus Christ. It s the way of peace. The way of forgiveness. The way of welcome to the outsider. The way of good news for the poor. The way of hope for those who despair. The way of life. The way of radical, transformative love. The keys of the kingdom of heaven are given to Peter not so that he can lock the gate to bar entry to those who don t belong. The keys represent the power to bind and loose [SLIDE]: Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven, Jesus tells Peter (Mt. 16:19). This doesn t mean that whatever Peter says goes. Rather, to Peter, and by extension to the church, is given the authority and the responsibility to teach the way of Jesus Christ, which is, again, this alternative way of being in the world. A way that rejects all forms of self-seeking and instead embraces a life of selfless love and sacrifice. It s what we pray in the Lord s Prayer: thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. All of this is a revelation to the disciples. It s stunning. And it s a turning point in the Gospel. This is the first time in Matthew s Gospel that the disciples have acknowledged Jesus as Messiah. Son of God is language they ve used before. They used it when Jesus and Peter returned to the boat after Jesus rescued Peter from drowning. But Messiah? This is the first time that the disciples have proclaimed that particular title that was so charged with meaning for Jews. Big news, right? Tell it to the world! 6
Not so fast [SLIDE]! Then he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah (Mt. 16:20). What? Why not? Why does Jesus want to keep this good news a secret? The lectionary divides today s passage into two passages. The first passage ends here at verse 20 with Jesus commanding the disciples to keep silent. It makes sense to divide the passage in this way. I get it. Verse 21 is a natural transition. It begins, From that time on... (Mt. 16:21). Matthew is clearly transitioning into a new section of his Gospel. But I combined these two passages into one because they are intimately connected. Peter plays a prominent role in both of them. So does the idea of Messiah and what that means. In the first half, Peter recognizes Jesus as Messiah. In the second half, he will learn what it means for Jesus to be the Messiah [SLIDE]. From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised (Mt. 16:21). That s a curve ball, an unexpected pitch from Jesus! There were in Jesus day many different notions of what Israel s Messiah would be like. Among them was the expectation of a political or military figure who would restore the line of David and return Israel to power. However, none of these notions of Messiah, to my knowledge, anticipated a Messiah who suffers. The very idea is too much for Peter to even consider. At the mere suggestion that Jesus role as Messiah entails suffering, Peter pulls Jesus aside and rebukes him [SLIDE]: God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you (Mt. 16:22). Peter had what modern Jews call chutzpah ( 당돌함 ). 7
Peter has received the keys of the kingdom of heaven, the power to bind and to loose. And what is the first thing he does with that power? He seeks to bind Jesus! He wants Jesus to stop this ridiculous talk of suffering, death, and resurrection. Peter wants to bind Jesus to his own expectation and understanding of what the Messiah should be, which doesn t involve Jesus suffering and dying. In response, Jesus has some choice words for Peter [SLIDE]: Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things (Mt. 16:23). Moments earlier Jesus had given to Simon the name Peter. Now Jesus refers to Peter by another name... Satan. What s more, Peter has gone from being, just moments earlier, the rock, to now a stumbling block, all within the span of five verses. That s an impressive feat! Satan may seem like strong language for Jesus to use for the leader of his disciples, no matter how misguided that leader may be, but what Peter is doing is satanic. He wants to keep Jesus from carrying out his mission, which will involve going to the cross. If Jesus were to listen to Peter, God s plan of salvation would be ruined. Satanic is right. Jesus faced the exact same temptation from Satan earlier in the Gospel. As described in chapter 4, before he calls his disciples and begins his ministry, Jesus encounters Satan in the wilderness. There Satan tempts Jesus to use his status as God s Son to serve himself. If you re hungry, turn these stones into bread. You have the power. Why suffer needlessly? If you want people to follow you, do something worthy of attention. Throw yourself from the roof of the temple and allow God s angels to catch you. That would attract a following! If you want to rule all the kingdoms of the world (imagine all the good you could do!), you need do just one thing bend your knee and worship me. 8
Jesus knows that if he succumbs to any of these temptations, he would fail in his mission to reconcile and save the world. In the strength of the Holy Spirit he resists. He ends the exchange by saying, Away with you, Satan! (Mt. 4:10). To Peter, he says something slightly different [SLIDE]: Get behind me, Satan. The verb in Greek is opísō. This isn t the first time that Peter has heard it come from Jesus lips. The first time was in Matthew 4:19, just after Jesus was tempted by Satan. This is when Jesus is calling the disciples. Walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus sees Peter (then still known as Simon) and his brother Andrew in their fishing boat casting a net into the sea. Jesus says to them, opísō me, which is translated Follow me. Follow me. Get behind me. To follow Jesus, Peter must get behind him. He must give up the desire to control how, and why, and for whom Jesus will be the Messiah. That is not Peter s responsibility. His responsibility is to get behind Jesus and follow wherever he leads. The only way for us to follow Jesus is get behind him. I know that sounds simple, but it s easier said than done. We want to be out front. We want to be in control. We want to dictate where, and how, and to whom Jesus leads us. But we have to give up our desire to lead. We have to let go of our need to be in control. If we cling to the need for control, we will never be able to take up our cross. And taking up the cross is the first step to following Jesus [SLIDE]: If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me (Mt. 16:24). Here, we need to clarify something. The cross is obviously central to the Christian faith. But sometimes the meaning of the cross becomes distorted. On the cross Jesus suffers, but the cross is not about suffering for suffering s sake. Christians don t celebrate or glorify suffering. Rather, in the cross, Jesus, the Son of the living God, becomes vulnerable to suffering and death for the sake of others, for the sake of 9
sinners, for the sake of us. He does this not out of responsibility or obligation or necessity but by choice. He willingly chooses the way of the cross for the sake of love not love in an abstract sense but the love of sinners like us. The way of the cross leads to new life, but new life is possible only with death [SLIDE]: For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it (Mt. 16:25). The way of the cross is the path of dying to the powers that seek to possess and control us the power of pride, the power of status and recognition, the power of comfort, the power of fear. The disciple who takes up the cross dies to these and all other principalities and powers and is raised to new life in Christ. The passage begins with Jesus asking the disciples [SLIDE], Who do you say that I am? Let s ask the same question of ourselves. Who do we say that Jesus is? We can answer that in words, as Peter did. But Jesus showed Peter that the full answer came not in words but in living witness. Yes, I am the Messiah. Now get behind me. Don t try to lead. Take up your cross and follow me. So, where there is pain and suffering in the world, get behind Jesus and follow him on the path of mercy. Where there is despair and someone is ready to give up, get behind Jesus and follow him on the path of hope. Where the stranger or outsider is made to feel unwanted, get behind Jesus and follow him on the path of welcome. Where the elderly poor are collecting cardboard in the streets, get behind Jesus and follow him who proclaimed good news for the poor. Where there is conflict in your workplace, your classroom, or your home, get behind Jesus and follow him on the path of peace and reconciliation. If you want to be at the forefront of what God is doing in this world, get behind Jesus and follow him. 10