Whose are we?
In our gospel reading (Matthew 16:13-20) we hear one of the turning points in Matthew’s gospel. Jesus is with his disciples in Caesarea Philippi; built to honour Caesar Augustus, a centre of pagan worship, on a major trade route so economically important, and an administrative centre for Herod the Great’s son Philip. By the time Matthew wrote his gospel it was a centre of Roman authority in the now reconquered and decimated Palestine. It idolised the gods of wealth and power, making all subservient to the Herodians and Rome.
One way to read the passage is Jesus is asking, “In your conversations, who do people say I am?” Those responses saw Jesus as the one to free them from all this place represented, and the oppression laid across the poor Jewish population. Then Jesus asks, “In those conversations, who do YOU say I am?” And Peter responds with "You're the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
There is so much that Peter gets both right and not so right in this response. No matter how little he understood by what he said, out of his experience of Jesus feeding huge crowds, calming storms, walking on raging spirit churned seas, healing, setting people free, and teaching hope; Peter had known that this was the Living God at work. His answer comes out of his experience of God’s abundant mercy and compassion, generosity and justice in Jesus. Peters identity had once been shaped by all Caesarea Philippi represented. Now he is being changed from the inside by compassion and generosity. His identity as a disciple was being shaped by Jesus’ love. On that Jesus would build his new community of those walking and living his way.
As we continue on this extraordinary year, what experience do we have of God’s abundant generosity and compassion? How does this experience shape our sense of who we are? How open are we to receive it and to live it?
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