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| Christ and Simon Peter -- Raphael (1515) |
Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c
or
Jeremiah 15:15-21
Psalm 26:1-8
Romans 12:9-21
Matthew 16:21-28
In the Epistle for this Sunday, Paul sets a very high standard for Christian conduct: ‘Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.’ These are all admirable injunctions, of course, but they are also counsels of perfection. How many Christian lives really model this ideal? Very few if any, is the only honest answer. Happily, if this seems a depressing conclusion, the Gospel for this week offsets it to a considerable degree.
The reading brings to the fore the strange relationship that Simon Peter had with Jesus. In part this was a result of his impulsive and vacillating character. Peter was the sort of person who could be inspired to leap over the side of a boat one moment, only to be crying out in fear the next. More significant, in terms of the whole Gospel story, is his behavior at ‘the time of trial’. Emphatic assurance of loyalty to Jesus is soon displaced by an equally emphatic denial that he ever knew him.
Jesus too seems to vacillate in his attitude to Peter. Early in their relationship, he declares him to be the ‘rock’ on which the church is to be founded, while in this passage that same rock is declared ‘a stumbling block’ who must be told, ‘Get behind me, Satan!’
Yet this fact remains. Jesus chose Peter, made him a witness of the Transfiguration, and granted him the largest number of post-Resurrection encounters. An important clue to the puzzle lies in this rebuke: ‘you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things’. Peter’s inconsistent character, just as it is, equips him for the role he has been assigned. In his weakness, he is a true representative of our common humanity. In his devotion to Jesus, however faltering, he exhibits a spiritual hope of which we are all capable. Paul’s counsel of perfection is a description of that hope. Its ultimate realization is Jesus - true man and true God.
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