21st Sunday Ordinary Time . . . Who Do We Say That He Is?
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21st Sunday Ordinary Time - August 27th, 2023 (Click Here for Readings)
If we ever hold a career position or key role in ministry with an attitude of invincibility, we could also be “thrusted from our office and pulled down from our station” as the Lord told Shebna in today’s reading from Isaiah.
The self-centered pride of Shebna in his high position and ignorance of the Lord as his master was his downfall and the cause of his being replaced by Eliakim. The keys to the house of David were given to Eliakim with the same trust as the keys to the Kingdom of heaven were given to St. Peter by Jesus because both men were righteous and whole-heartedly committed to serving their Lord.
And we too, in being righteous and committed to glorifying God in our work, can achieve great success when we truly know and believe in whom we’re serving.
As Jesus asked St. Peter in today’s Gospel, “Who do you say that I am,” he asks us the same. Do we acknowledge, glorify and proclaim him as our one and only Lord and Savior both by our words and how we live? Can we honestly say who our Lord Jesus is from our own wisdom and heart rather than from the perceptions of others?
When our knowledge of Jesus comes from what others say about him, we will never really get to know him as he wants. Our answer to “who do we say that he is” must come from within ourselves, demonstrated from our inside-out and with the willingness to risk being ostracized or ridiculed in our ever-growing growing secular and anti-Christian world.
Despite Peter's weaknesses, when he answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” it gave Jesus the trust in him to lead his church. Regardless of anyone's weaknesses, they can be placed wherever God chooses based on his inscrutable judgements and unsearchable ways described by St. Paul to the Romans today?
Jesus showed his uncanny decision making by appointing Peter as the rock and head of his household. And despite our weaknesses, when we hold to the same belief as Peter did, we’ll also have access to the love and support we need from Jesus to fulfill our roles as rocks of our families, ministries, workplaces and social circles where he places us.
God has no need for counsel and places whomever he chooses in key roles despite the reactions or opinions of others. If we’re ever prompted to fill a role by God one day as Eliakim and St. Peter were, let us never allow the devil, through the opinions or envy of others distract us from the work he’s assigned us to do.
Let us gladly say "Yes" to Jesus with “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” He won’t push us, but he’ll always be waiting.
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