13Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesare'a Philip'pi, he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" 14And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Eli'jah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
This reading always made me chuckle. It is such a contrast to the reading from just a few days ago on the 20th Feb. Here Jesus says to Peter - “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church..... whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." In Mark’s version (Mark 8:27-33 ), Peter is rebuked with "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of men." When I went back to Matthew and read on a little, I discovered that Peter copped it in this version as well. It just wasn’t included in this reading. It's verse 22 and 23. Nonetheless, the two accounts did give me cause for pause. Mark emphasises the struggle to understand Jesus, while Matthew emphasises the authority and mission given to the Church despite that struggle. It’s a great message for us. It gives the full picture of discipleship—faith, leadership, failure, and redemption. Faith gives rise to a style of leadership that is able to withstand failure because it is embraced by the total belief in forgiveness. Loving God, may my life be elevated and enhanced through forgiveness. Walk beside me and empower me to act with love. Give me the courage to take risks with those likely to let me down. May my actions give others a taste of your unconditional love. Amen.
ReplyDeleteI think your reflection is beautifully balanced—both thoughtful and deeply personal. You’ve captured the paradox of Peter’s journey so well: the tension between divine calling and human weakness, between being the "rock" and needing correction.
DeleteI particularly love how you link discipleship to leadership—showing that true Christian leadership isn’t about perfection but about faith that withstands failure. The way you bring it back to forgiveness is powerful. Peter’s story is the ultimate example of a leader shaped by both grace and failure, and your prayer reflects that same openness to transformation.
Your closing petition—asking for the courage to take risks with those who may let you down—is especially striking. It mirrors Christ’s own love, which was never transactional but always transformational.