Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ 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. 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. 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.’ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Matthew 16:16-20
Recently I read a Christian Classic by Hannah Whitall Smith called A Christian’s Secret to a Happy Life published in 1875. I have been reading this book whenever I got a moment; on the bus, on the subway train on the way to church. I have to say that I was a little self-conscious reading a book with such a title. I don’t want to be the person caught reading a self-help book. Despite its misleading title, Mrs Smith’s book is far from being a mere self-help book. It is actually quite relevant to the gospel story above.
Often times whenever I read this particular episode in the gospels, I tend to reduce the message to be the calling of St. Peter. It is the disputed tale about the biblical grounds for papacy. However, this story was never meant to be about this. The church has made it as such, at least, the modern church has. The problem is that doctrinal theories can overshadow deeper meanings in the text. Other times, they help us delve deeper into the gospel story. Therefore, it wouldn’t be wise to discard doctrines in general. Spiritual discernment is always necessary.
The evangelist mentions the place where this event happened. I had not paid much attention to this for many years until I heard a biblical scholar who brought it to my attention. The location was a place where an image of the emperor was erected. Even though the Jewish people were not fans of the Roman Empire, they couldn’t have avoided the political propaganda of the time. Many times, the slogan is more convincing than the Truth. The slogan, at that time, was that the Roman Empire was the important force which civilized the world. In other words, the Empire had the power to bring peace and order and enlightenment to the world. This argument was used to justify everything they did. Sometimes people who opposed the Roman Empire like the Jewish authorities of Jesus’ time were afraid to act or say anything against it because they feared that without the Empire things would disintegrate. The slogan was strong because the people saw its power, influence, and, not to forget, the lies being wielded constantly before them. They eventually succumbed to its ways and means.
Jesus waited for the precise moment to ask this question.
St Peter did not come to this conclusion during his time of meditation nor did he read this in a book. His conclusions were drawn what he saw and heard. He saw Jesus calm the tempestuous sea. He saw Jesus feed the multitudes. He saw Jesus heal the sick and cleanse the lepers. He saw Jesus walk on water and he also participated in this miracle. St Peter saw that Jesus was able to overcome the obstacles which the world presented. Jesus was presenting a reality previously unreachable to him.
In the time of Jesus, all the diverse mythologies of the world’s religions would have been accessible to the people. Interactions with different cultures were not uncommon. However, other mythologies dealt with deities in a reality far removed from our own. St. Peter witnessed divine participation in his own reality. Most fascinatingly, he walked on water, albeit for a few seconds. St. Peter did not allow these special moments to slip away into memory. He pondered upon them. His eyes and ears were attentive to the Holy Spirit. When the moment came, he knew the precise answer; “Jesus is the Messiah”. In other words, Jesus was the only One who could fulfill all the things that humanity had been yearning for in their souls. He was the True Answer to our most profound questions. He was the One who could bring our souls home to the Heavenly Father. All those who made these promises before and after Him were and are nothing but deceivers.
This might sound like a general condemnation of other religions. It should not be taken this manner. Most religions address the yearnings of the souls. They tend to directly or indirectly prepare the people for the Christ by addressing this God-shaped hole in us as St. Augustine aptly wrote. Jesus did not stand in front of a religious institution to ask this question. He stood before a political propaganda and confronted the disciples. This is very relevant to us today.
The greatest challenge we face today is believing the slogans which the world throws at us. We are told to believe that we cannot get anywhere in Life unless we subscribe to the things they promise. It is not just a question of political affiliations, which is part of it, but it is the lifestyle. Everything is about lifestyle. We shape our lives according to whatever we perceive to be the Truth. This is not a set of doctrines or theology. It is about receiving something as the foundation upon which we will base our lives.
St. Paul wrote,
The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost. (1 Tim. 1:15)
Jesus came to save sinners. Sin is missing the mark, or rather, aiming at the wrong goal. He came to show us, not just, how we have strayed but how to walk in the right path. He did do this not through words but He lived among us and showed us the Way, the Truth and the Life. As humans, words don’t suffice for us. We need to see and hear the Truth being manifested in our lives. Sometimes, Christians are way behind the world in this respect. The world understands this. It spreads its lies effectively by imposing itself into our lives. It is present in an imposing manner.
Jesus, on the other hand, was present in the lives of the disciples by serving them. He exposed their sinful ways by lovingly serving them. He revealed the immensity of God’s love by healing the sick, cleansing the leper and comforting those who mourn ( raising the widow’s dead son). He revealed God’s power and authority through the feeding of the multitudes and calming the storm. Jesus was active and present in this world but never imposing. St. Peter confessed what he had seen and lived. He confessed that Jesus was sufficient. There was not need to yearn for anything else anymore. There was no need to blindly listen to the lies being hurled at them. Jesus is all and everything that our souls need to construct a happy life. St Peter struggled to free himself from all the lies that had been deeply rooted in his soul. Perhaps this is why Jesus appointed him as our leader. He led the way for us to learn how to overcome the lies of this world in order to truly enthrone Jesus as the Lord of our Life.
Getting back to Mrs. Smith’s simple book, it was very edifying for me to read something which reminded me that Jesus is indeed the Christ. It may be easy to forget this because of the lies constantly being imposed upon my life. However, Jesus finds a way to remind us that He is everything and all that we need. To confess Jesus as our Christ means trusting Him completely with our lives. It means abandoning the ways and lies of the world. It means not employing the tools of darkness to promote the gospel. It means acknowledging that Jesus doesn’t need any help from us. However, He calls us to participate together with Him and become His instruments of Love. We cannot become His instruments unless we complete entrust our lives to Him.
He is our Christ and there is none other to wait for. He is the key for our happy life. However, we won’t know this unless we are willing to lay our lives at His feet. We do this by following the example of St. Peter. He is the rock. He is our example. His life helps us to understand that trusting Jesus as our Messiah means overcoming one doubt at a time. Peter trusted Jesus to follow Him. He trusted Jesus to heal his mother-in-law. He trusted Jesus to walk on water, albeit just a few steps. He trusted Jesus to forgive him even after he denied him. He trusted Jesus even he was confronted by St. Paul for his hypocrisy. He knew the reprimand was for his spiritual good. St. Peter trusted in the Messiah and not in his own righteousness and means. He trusted that despite all his weakness, Jesus would manifest Himself as Christ in His life. In doing so, St. Peter found the meaning of a happy life which led him to the Cross. Perhaps, it was the happiest moment of his life. He was able to die like his savior.
