Matthew 16:13-20

Peter’s Confession of Faith

           So much of the country of Israel is like a desert.  The Old Testament description of Israel as a “land flowing with milk and honey” just does not jibe with what a modern day traveler would see.  Actually, I understand, a big part of this country is more like “flowing with sand and rocks”!  Now Caesarea Philippi is quite a contrast.  This is an oasis of green vegetation and streams.  It’s the kind of restful place many of us would seek for a relaxing vacation or retreat.

          Another contrast that goes beyond the physical setting is the religious heritage of this place.  In ancient times, this area was a major worship center for the Greek god Pan.  Supposedly there are tiny niches cut into the sides of ruddy colored cliffs, which, at one time, held statues of this Greek god.

          I understand that today, Caesarea Philippi is a major Christian tourist site.  The main reason is because this was the setting for the immortal words of our reading this Sabbath.  I know we studied it in Sabbath School a few weeks ago; however I would like to revisit it.

          Some scholars boldly state that Jesus’ dialogue with Peter is the most important conversation written in the Gospel of Matthew!  The dialogue I am talking about is the text that I just finished reading.

          No question about it!  If Jesus Christ had been just another great prophet, there would be no Christian Church.  However, if Jesus Christ is indeed the Messiah, the Christ, the promised one, and the Son of the living God – then the scholars are correct.  This is a major league statement about who Jesus is and why he came into this world.

          How unfortunate that this significant Bible text has been a partial cause of division between the Protestant and Roman Catholic Church.  After Peter made the statement, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” Jesus is visibly moved by Peter’s words.  He responds by saying: “Blessed are you Simon, son of Jonah!  For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.  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” (Mt 16:17-18).

          The divisive statement is this: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.”  Our friends in the Roman Catholic Church have traditionally interpreted Jesus’ statement as a reference to Peter as a person.  They have therefore declared Peter as the first pope of their church.

          A careful look at the original Greek text, however, suggests that the “rock” on which Jesus would build his church was not a reference to Peter himself, but rather to Peter’s confession of faith.  I believe that.

          The Greek word used in verse 18 that is translated as “church” is the word ekkelesia.  The word’s literal meaning is “the people of God.”  So, if I am getting this right, that means the Christian Church is “the people of God who are united together through their faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”  On the basis of Jesus’ profound statement, it would seem that the Lord has chosen to accomplish his will and purpose on earth through the “the people of God, the Church.”

          Through the years, there have always been critics of the church.  Those of us who lived through the 60s can well remember how the church was under sharp criticism for its passive role in the civil rights movement.  We just celebrated 45 years since Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream speech.”  Much of this was justified.  The message I heard was this: “Quit spending so much time in Bible Study.  You should be out making positive changes!  Maybe you should go down South and join in the civil rights marches.”  I remember a quote from a college student of the 1960s when asked, “What do you think of the Church? Commenting, “Not much! It doesn’t scratch where I itch.”

          To those who say, “I’ll take Jesus, but do not bother me with the church.”  I say take another look at today’s good news.  Jesus is saying: “The two go together.  (Sing:) ‘You can’t have one without the other!’”

          The church is NOT the building.  I read this story about a man who visited a new beautiful church and he was very happy that the architect himself was available to give a tour of the building.  The outside of the building did not disappoint.  The architect had been bold and daring in his design.  However, the interior of the worship center was disappointing the man said.  The walls were constructed out of concrete blocks.  The fact that they were not painted and retained their natural gray color gave the man a cold, stark feeling.  When he questioned, the architect said: “This was by design.  What gives life to the church is not the building, but the people of God who worship in that building.”  The man said that he was certainly theologically correct; however, he still did not like the interior of that building.

          There will always be critics of the church and they have a right to criticize.  We are imperfect.  We are not all that we can be.  We perhaps gossip too much.  We put each other down too much.  We are often doing church work, instead of the work of the church.  Yet through God’s amazing grace, God loves us anyway.  How awesome to know that Jesus Christ uses us, the imperfect church, to accomplish his purposes here on this earth.  Like Peter, we ourselves are not the rock, but it is our confession of faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord that binds us together in love.  Jesus said it best in our good news reading, “And the gates of Hades will not prevail against it!”  Praise God!