PETER AND HIS FRAGILITY: FROM «IF YOU ARE» TO «YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD»

“He who believes will never encounter a miracle. You can't see the stars during the day". “He who works a miracle says: I can't detach myself from the earth". (Franz Kafka)

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We have seen moles many times legal thriller Americans, which take place for most of the scenes in a courtroom, the lawyers press the witnesses who have climbed onto their bench, with direct questions that only required a yes or no answer. These are the questions that communication science identifies as closed. Open ones are of another kind, that make it possible, instead, a reasoned and articulated response, even if short. It is those questions that psychologists, eg, they are preferred because they foster relationships and a positive climate between interlocutors.

On the evangelical page of this one twenty-first Sunday of ordinary time Jesus asked his disciples two questions of the second type, that is, open. The evangelical text is as follows:

"During that time, Jesus, arrived in the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples: “The people, Who says he is the son of man?”. They replied: “Some say John the Baptist, other Elijah, other Jereame the advent gorge dei”.. He told them: “But you, Who do you say I am?”. Simon Peter replied: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God ". And Jesus said to him: “Blessed are you, Simone, son of Jonah, because neither flesh nor blood has revealed it to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to you: you are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church and the powers of hell will not prevail over it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven: everything you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and everything you melt on earth will be melted in heaven ". Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.". (Mt 16, 13-20)

This scene which is commonly defined as the confession of Peter takes place in the far north of Israel, where Jesus was after passing through Genesareth (Mt 14, 34), then from the parts of Tire and Sidon (Mt 15, 21), then along the Sea of ​​Galilee (Mt 15, 29) and in the Magadan region (Mt 15, 39). We are on the slopes of Mount Hermon where the Jordan rises, near Caesarea Philippi, city ​​whose name refers to the power of Rome because it was built by the tetrarch Philip, son of Herod, in honor of the emperor. Both spiritually and geographically we are therefore very distant from the holy city of Jerusalem, practically at the opposite extreme, and it is here that Peter's messianic confession takes place. After which Jesus' path will move away from these territories, where until now it had lingered, to head straight towards Jerusalem: «From then on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem» (Mt 16, 21).

Near the city that in ancient times bore the name of the god Pan (APEA)[1] and now Caesar's Jesus questions his disciples, first indirectly and then directly with words that leave no room for digression because they require an answer that involves the interviewees. A leave no escape also expressed by the adversative: «But you, Who do you say I am?».

Nowadays Surveys are very fashionable, indispensable kit for politicians and their coalitions, as well as the exit poll which soon make it possible to understand who won an electoral competition or market surveys launched before a certain product is put into circulation, to find out if it will be appreciated by buyers. The research that Jesus invoked with the first question was certainly not of this type and tenor, yet he also wanted to explore what opinion people might have of him. If in the first question the question is aimed at knowing what was said about the "Son of man", probably the most important messianic title at that time ( cf.. Mt 9, 6; Mt 10, 23; Mt. 24, 27-30 etc..), in the second Jesus, passing directly to the ego, he placed the disciples in front of a personal response, difficult, maybe even painful. You who lived with me, that you have walked this far with me, that you listened to what I said, that you saw what I did, that you witnessed the clashes and encounters you witnessed. Butter, who do you say who I am? It's not so much the request itself, which is more than legitimate, as much as the fact that Jesus, in this way of posing, He himself becomes a question both for the disciples to whom he addresses himself and for the immediate readers of the Gospel. Someone[2] collected all the questions that Jesus asked in the Gospels, it seems to be two hundred and seventeen (217)[3]. But this one here, which we find in this Sunday's song, is the question that reaches everyone: believers and non-believers. The second why, if honest and thoughtful, they cannot help but be fascinated and disturbed by the figure of Jesus. And receive, believers, because they know that this is the question that resonates every day and shakes them to the core, since it is not a question of accepting an opinion or adhering to an idea, however noble, but it concerns Jesus himself, his person and his mystery. Jesus is the question. It cannot be avoided nor is it easy. In fact, the answer to the first question was unanimous: «And they said “and they said“»; the second was answered by Pietro alone. Because it is a decisive request that evaluates the true disciple, removing him from the risk of remaining silent.

Returning to the first question, Jesus asked about circulating opinions regarding the “Son of Man”, an expression obscure to us but clear to his listeners, in fact Jesus preferred to identify himself with it: a messianic character who «is a person, not a community; has a divine nature, it exists before time and still lives; knows all the secrets of the Law and therefore has the task of celebrating the Great Judgment at the end of time"[4]. All the disciples' answers on what was thought of the "Son of Man" will have a prophetic trait in common. First of all, they equate him with John the Baptist whom Jesus himself had defined as "more than a prophet" (Mt 11,9) and precursor of the Messiah (Mt 11,10). According to Matthew, the crowd itself considered John a prophet (Mt 14,5) and now identifying him with Jesus he had to necessarily think of him as resurrected. This was also the opinion of Herod who had also put him to death: «This is John the Baptist. He rose from the dead and for this reason he has the power to work wonders." (Mt 14,2).

Regarding the correlation of the “Son of man” with Elia, instead, it must be remembered that biblical tradition considered these as a precursor of the Messiah (cf.. Mal 3,23; Sir 48,10), while Jesus had identified him with John the Baptist (Mt 17, 10-13). Instead, approach Jesus, Son of man, to Jeremiah is Matthew's own, probably because like Jesus the ancient prophet spoke words against the temple (cf.. Gives 7) and how he suffered from the caste of priests and in the city of Jerusalem. A foreshadowing, so, of what would happen to Jesus himself. In the end, say the disciples, others think of him as a prophet, one among many. It is at this point that Jesus, perhaps dissatisfied or eager to take the dialogue to a higher level, more personal and engaging, he asked them a direct question: «But you, Who do you say I am?». This time Peter alone answered: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God ".

In the apostle's response we have the reprise of the declaration made to Jesus on the boat: “Truly you are the Son of God” (Mt 14,33) premised by the messianic confession "You are the Christ", with the addition of an adjective referring to God which refers to the awareness expressed in the Old Testament that the God of Israel was indeed "living": And it will happen that instead of telling them: "You are not my people", they will be told: “You are children of the living God” (cf.. Os 2,1)[5].

We are faced with a Christian title of great importance which together makes up both the messiahship of Jesus and his divinity, since he proceeds from God and through Him the very life of the Father is revealed and communicated. As Giovanni will say, Jesus is the way of truth and life (See GV 16, 6). These are statements that theology will be pleased to explore, but which the Bible simply states as solid and quiet truth. This is thanks to the evolution of the apostle Peter who went from the hesitant "if it's you" uttered as he was about to sink[6] to today's clear confession of faith in Jesus. A transition that occurred not on merit, but by grace as stated in the subsequent beatitude that Jesus addressed to Peter which refers to another evangelical saying that we have already encountered: «I give you praise, Dad, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and have revealed them to little ones"[7]. We know from other circumstances that Peter was a man of very human frailties and weaknesses, this did not prevent the Lord from seeing him as a "little one" and benefiting from a particular revelation and an important task. This is attested by the words of Jesus who choose the patronymic «Simone, son of Jonah" and Semitism "flesh and blood": it is therefore within the personal and generational history of Peter that divine grace descends. And note that, if in Mark and in Luke, Peter expressed the faith of the entire group of disciples (cf.. MC 8,29; LC 9,20), here in Matthew, however, he spoke in his own name and for this reason Jesus' response is addressed to him alone: «Blessed are you, Simone, son of Jonah, because neither flesh nor blood has revealed it to you, but my Father who is in heaven".

This statement is the basis of the subsequent revelation of Jesus on the Church because it too will be born from the grace and gift of God. Simone who was almost like a stone would have reached the bottom of the lake if he hadn't been grabbed, it will become, in the words of Jesus, the "stone" on which the Church will rest, which however will be built by the Lord and will be his (build my church – Oikodomeso we our response to). Yet despite the important placement of the apostle as the stone at the base, the last mention of Peter, in the Gospel of Matthew, he will show him in tears after the triple denial (Mt 26, 75) nor will he be mentioned in the resurrection stories. This aspect of Peter that the synoptic tradition does not fail to mention will not prevent Jesus from giving him important powers. As Paul states in today's second reading, the Lord knows what lies deep inside and does not take advice from anyone: «How unfathomable are his judgments and inaccessible his ways!»[8]. The power of the keys of the Kingdom refers to the words of the prophet Isaiah recalled in the first reading this Sunday: «I will place the key to the house of David on his shoulder: if he opens, no one will close; if he closes, no one will be able to open"[9]. They are a sign of authority granted by the Lord - the keys, indeed, they are his - which cannot be taken advantage of like the 'doctors of the Law' who had distorted their metaphorical use by preventing most people from accessing the knowledge of the word of God or interpreting it in their favor (cf.. LC 11, 52)[10]. The task of Peter and the apostles with him must now be the one that Jesus will give them at the end of the Gospel: «Go and make disciples of all peoples… teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you» (Mt 28,19).

In this step, as we read, the word Church appears, which will return only one more time in all the Gospels, again in Matthew (cf. Mt 18,17). The term Church - ekklesia - identified the assembly of the called-by (I-kletoí): this in fact was the name given by the Helleno-Christians to their communities, also to differentiate itself from the synagogue (assembly) of non-Christian Jews. Like the ancient one ekklesia of the Greeks had their own organs, its own laws and resolutions as well as Peter to guide theekklesia Christian will be endowed with the power of the keys which will be accompanied by the power of loosening and binding, or to prohibit or allow in the disciplinary and doctrinal field. And it will become especially, in the ecclesial space, the authority to forgive sins, true power that narrates the power of the resurrection.

The strength of the risen Christ it is now also granted to the Church, construction carried out by himself. The resurrection is the decisive moment that allows the disciples to remember and take up the words of Jesus and finally understand them. From that moment on the Church rested and founded on his resurrection, will prolong the life and salvation of Jesus who, risen from the dead, he will give hope to all men. Openness to the gift of God will allow the Church to counter the action of the forces of evil, making room for the power of Christ through faith. The Church lives by the promise of Christ.

To conclude it is necessary to remember that this meditation on the Church and on the role of Peter that the gospel triggered, it will probably have been a bit heavy because the summer period we are going through would most likely require lighter topics, perhaps because they are not easy topics, they seem to concern only the configuration of the Church and its powers. In fact, we cannot fail to say that on Peter's confession and on the consequent words of Jesus regarding his role and that of his successors, the various Christian communities have divided. Catholics think one thing differently from the Orthodox and the various Reformed churches think another.

As I wrote at the beginning the open questions, like these posed by Jesus, they allow a positive climate between the dialogue partners and the relationship. Because Jesus instead of simply revealing who he was and it would have been the easy way, he preferred to ask himself? Probably because he wanted this relationship then and still. It will be based on the response we are able to give that faith as a vital experience will be determined, because each of us will only believe in the Christ we feel is our own, the one whose face he recognized as true for himself. Even in its divine absoluteness, Jesus wants to remain relative to the lives of individual people and in the name of that relationship he continues to ask us to be the ones to say who he is, regardless of the words of others.

From Matthew's perspective who remembered the Caesarea episode and wrote about it, the intention was to make people understand what a great gift faith in the now risen and living Jesus was, Son of God. And how from this gift that illuminates and gives hope to existence many others flow in cascade. The first is that Jesus' disciples are not monads, but a community, a ekklesia precisely, a spiritual but also vital and concrete place where it is possible to make the other gifts that now come from the Spirit grow and mature, for the benefit of all. Pietro plays an important role in this community that he did not choose for himself and for this we thank him in every one of his representatives. I am reminded of the last of his successors that we have known, John Paul who is holy, Benedict and Francis, beyond obvious personal differences, at a certain point in their lives they found themselves in the position of having to reveal their physical infirmity to everyone: almost a parable or an icon of that fragility and weakness of the first, Pietro's.

And I conclude by recalling that in the tradition of the fourth Gospel Peter will be the one who doesn't understand[11], he will be the one who arrives at the tomb second[12]. He will be the one who needs someone else to tell him: «It is the Lord»[13], because he didn't realize it. But he is also the one who, before the others, will cover his nakedness and start swimming until he reaches Jesus on shore.. Maybe he needs to apologize, to recover. Jesus asked him three times if he loved him and he was saddened by understanding. «More than these?» (GV 21,15) Jesus asked him and he understood. He understood that his particular service would be that of love and of confirming his brothers in their relationship with Jesus, that is, in faith. Then he will continue his journey with the others behind him, because it will be to him that Jesus will say: «You follow me»[14].

Happy Sunday everyone!

from the Hermitage, 27 August 2023

 

NOTE

[1] Polybius, Stories, Book 16, paragraph 18, Rizzoli, 2002.

[2] Monti L., Jesus' questionsÙ, St. Paul, 2019.

[3] op cit. pg. 251-262: To the disciples (111), to religious men (51), to the crowd (20), to sick people (9), to others (25), to God (1).

[4] Sacchi P., Jesus Son of man, Morcelliana, 2023; the author rereads the figure of the son of man in Mark in the light of the apocryphal book Book of Parables, second book of the Ethiopian Enoch collection (IH).

[5] "Just, indeed, among all mortals he heard, like us, the voice of the living God speaking from the fire and remained alive." (Deut 5, 26).

[6] Mt 14, 30.

[7] Mt 11, 25.

[8] Rom 11, 33.

[9] Is 22, 22.

[10] "Woe to you, doctors of the Law, that you have taken away the key to knowledge; you didn't enter, and you prevented those who wanted to enter.".

[11] GV 20, 9 «In fact they had not yet understood the Scripture, that is, he had to rise from the dead".

[12] GV 20, 6 «Meanwhile Simon Pietro also arrived, who followed him, and entered the tomb and observed the cloths placed there".

[13] GV 21, 7.

[14] GV 21, 22.

San Giovanni all'Orfento. Abruzzo, Mount Maiella, it was a hermitage inhabited by Pietro da Morrone, called in 1294 to the Chair of Peter on which he ascended with the name of Celestine V (29 August – 13 December 1294).

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