Dramatic readings we have here today…

The passage from Isaiah is a prophetic warning to Shebna. The Lord sees that Shebna is an arrogant, self-centered man who has no regard for anyone, even the Lord. He cares about making himself rich “storing up treasures for himself”… rather than helping the poor and needy. In the prophecy,  Eliakim’s elevation is a reminder that God watches over his people. It reminds us, and especially our leaders, that those who are in positions of authority should be humble servants, working for the good of all.

And then this amazing story from Matthew. In Matthew’s gospel, this event marks a change in Jesus’ relationship with his disciples, especially with Peter. They have followed him for some time and now experience a huge leap in their understanding of their friend Jesus, their teacher Jesus. They have seen the miracles, listened to his parables, had those explained to them by Jesus… and they are attracted to following him because he somehow makes sense. And Jesus, looking forward, asks for more. I believe the leap they make is in faith… not because they have become more knowledgeable or learned some new fact or experienced a new miracle, but because Jesus asks a question prompting them to imagine it.

As Paul would later say in the letter to the Romans (that we heard today), God’s plan of salvation as shown by and in Jesus is far beyond the disciples’ (and our own) human understanding. So God opens our imagination, an imagination of faith, so that we may believe what we do not yet fully understand.

And so, we become witness to this focal moment, that Jesus sets up so well.

He first asks them what folks are saying about him… to reimagine what they’ve heard people say about him… everyone seems to see Jesus as a great prophet… 

And then he asks them “who do you say that I am?” There’s a silence. Some look up, some look down…

Peter stares intently at Jesus. He thinks “he’s much more than a carpenter,  he’s an amazing teacher… people just touch him and they are healed”… and when their eyes lock… Peter himself is surprised when he blurts out: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” He doesn’t just say it… he knows it.  But… what kind of Messiah?

The other disciples don’t get it. It will take time.  Peter is not even sure what he means but Jesus is smiling. You are Rock… Jesus says to Simon… A foundation stone strong enough to build a new church, a new assembly. And he gives Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven… forever joining the Church, the People of God, to the Kingdom of Heaven.

We know about Peter and so we know that despite this moment of grace, gifted to him by the Father, this moment of insight and awareness, Peter and the disciples are only beginning to know Jesus.

Peter, and the others, will be imperfect… their own faith will be challenged, and they will not always measure up to what Jesus calls them, calls us, to be. Like Peter, the leaders of the Church throughout history will not always measure up… but the authority of the Church, to teach, to guide, to correct and to lift up will always remain. The role of the Church is to be the Good Sheperd.

So what about us?  The Gospel asks us to consider Jesus’ questions.

Who do people say that the Son of Man, Jesus, is? The polite answers won’t be much different than  for those who lived at the same time as Jesus – however, because of the great failures over time of his followers and their leaders… some will even cast aspersions about him.

And how do we answer the second question? Who do you say Jesus is? We have the Gospels… they tell us that Jesus is the Christ, the  Messiah, the anointed one who suffered and died for us, even for you and me… Jesus is always the Good Shepherd. Right? 

But sometimes, knowing the Gospels, just saying that Jesus is the Good News…  it does not seem like enough. We have to allow God… to ask God, the whole Trinity, to light up our imagination, our imagination of faith. To believe as Peter believed.  To ask God to give us a faith which surprises us, which would lead us to an understanding which is beyond our selves… bigger and yes, better, than we could ever imagine on our own.

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The Messiah, the Redeemer, who became human so that we might know God… that we might obtain God’s mercy, that we might imagine God’s glory.

Who do you imagine Jesus is?  Something to think about. May we be surprised!