DAILY GRACE
August 6, 2020, Thursday of the 18th Week of Ordinary Time
Scripture: Matthew 16:13-23
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ 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.
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Meditation
“. . . . who do you say that I am?”
Jesus asks a penetrating question: “Who do you say that I am?” It may seem like an easy question, but when we let Jesus’ words sink into the deepest core of our being, we realize that Jesus is asking about more than the words we say. He is asking about the message we speak with our lives. We declare with our lips that Jesus is Lord, but do we let him rule in every area of our lives? Do we obey, not only his commandments, but the inspirations to do good and avoid whatever would take us farther from him, even in small things? Or do we sometimes follow the voice of culture more than that of Jesus?
Even Peter falters and lets culture govern when Jesus speaks of his coming suffering and death. “God, forbid it, Lord!” he exclaims. Peter was open to the revelation of Christ’s messiahship and divinity, but closed to the revelation of his suffering. Jesus had just said that he would rise on the third day, but Peter didn’t hear or understand that part due to his fear and expectations.
It is very easy to be deceived and lured by the voice of culture, which urges us to follow the safer, more convenient path. It is very easy to take our eyes off Jesus and start to reason humanly. It is very easy to follow Jesus in good times, but when suffering and bad times come, we need to trust that Jesus will lead us through. Despite Peter’s faults, Jesus never took back his choice of Peter as head of his Church. This gives us reason to hope in the mercy of God.
Prayer
Lord, I believe that you are the Son of God. You are my life and my hope. Help me to follow your holy inspirations and never take my eyes off you.
Contemplation
In good times and bad, let me not take my eyes off you.