Excerpt from Samuel Wells's Power and Passion: Six Characters in Search of Resurrection (eBook).
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[In Matthew 16:13-18] Jesus turns and asks, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And the disciples talk about John, Elijah, Jeremiah — all of them prophets who proclaimed repentance and judgement. "But who do you say that I am?" says Jesus. You can imagine the silence. Then Peter says, "You are the anointed king Israel has been waiting for for 500 years. You are the very presence of God among us. You are the one who will restore the intimate companionship of God and his people." And Jesus blesses Peter and says, "Peter, you didn't discover this for yourself — it was God who gave you the vision to see what you have seen and say what you have said."
Against the backdrop of pagan religion, Roman domination, and Jewish collaboration, Peter names Jesus as the embodiment of God's purposes for his people, and Jesus names Peter as the rock on which the new form of companionship with God will be founded. Peter says, "Israel, God's people, will never be the same again." Jesus says, "Neither will you, Peter."
So much for 2,000 years ago. What does this story mean for our contemporary culture? ... The farther we get from the messianic expectation of the first century, the bigger Peter's claim about Jesus seems to become. Where Peter would have said "Jews," we would say "everyone". Where Peter might have said "people," we would say "all creation". Where Peter might have said "world," we would say "universe". Where Peter said, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God," we might say, "You are the epicenter of the universe, the purpose of creation, the meaning of existence, the bond that joins humanity to God forever"...
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Peter was sometimes stupid, selfish, scared, & just plain wrong; so is the church. But Jesus chose Peter. And Jesus still chooses the church. Who are we to differ? |
If this story tells us exactly who Jesus is for us today, then it also tells us what the church is. The church is still Peter. That is, the church is a fragile people inspired by God to speak the truth about Jesus. Peter spoke the truth about Jesus; so does the church. But Peter was not infallible. Neither is the church. If Peter spoke the truth, it was because God inspired his words; so it is for the church. Peter was sometimes stupid, selfish, scared, and just plain wrong; so is the church. But Jesus chose Peter. And Jesus still chooses the church. Who are we to differ?
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Reality isn't a football cliffhanger... |
Fallible and clumsy it may sometimes be, but the church will never be overcome by death or evil. So long as it continues to live as a fragile people inspired by God to speak the truth about Jesus, the church will never be extinguished by evil or death. The best football matches leave the spectators on the edge of their seats till the last nail-biting minute, with the result in the balance. But reality isn't a football cliffhanger. We already know the result. God wins. The gates of Hades may look pretty dangerous, and they may hurt... but they don't win. That's the gospel.
"Jesus chose Peter [and] still chooses the church. Who are we to differ?
- Samuel Wells
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(Image and some styling above are web-exclusive features not included in the text of Power and Passion. Image attribution: Inset of "Saint Peter" from an encaustic icon in St. Catherine's Cathedral, Mt. Sinai, Israel. Uploaded by en:User:Ghirlandajo ([1]) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its representatives. The writer's personal opinions are shared only for information purposes. To receive new Zondervan Blog posts in your reader or email inbox, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.)
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