Proper 16 / Pentecost 14 / OT 21
Devotional
Water From the Well
Lectionary Devotional For Cycle A
Object:
... Who do people say that the Son of Man is?
-- Matthew 16:13
Unlike Mark, who put it more directly -- "Who do people say that I am?" -- Matthew had Jesus say, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" In both Aramaic and Hebrew, such a phrase could simply mean "human" as in Psalm 8:4. In the book of Daniel, which Jesus made direct reference to (Matthew 24:30), the phrase referred to the community of the faithful (Daniel 7:13-18). While his disciples clearly understood Jesus to be referring directly to himself as seen by their response, Matthew may have been indicating all three understandings to be accurate but in reverse order. Jesus was referring to himself, but as will be clear in 16:18, Jesus saw himself intimately connected with the community of the faithful as seen in the twelve disciples. They, in turn, were to be the true Israel, a light to the whole world, as reflected in the original promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-4).
As the true Israel, they were to reflect to the world what God intended to be ultimately true for all humanity. Thus to respond accurately to the question: "Who do [people] say that the Son of Man is?" was to understand who the church was meant to be through faith and what the church was to reflect as God's purpose for all of humanity. Then Jesus asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" which raised the question of what the role of the church (the body of Christ) was and its vision for humanity. "Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.' " When Jesus responded, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah...." he was confirming not only his own identity but the identity of the body of Christ or the church. It was this recognition of the very presence of God in their midst, and not Peter's steadiness of faith or consistent moral courage, that was the basis of Peter's blessedness. God was not someone apart from life but was revealed in the very center of life. The challenge for Christians is to recognize that same truth in the midst of the church.
-- Matthew 16:13
Unlike Mark, who put it more directly -- "Who do people say that I am?" -- Matthew had Jesus say, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" In both Aramaic and Hebrew, such a phrase could simply mean "human" as in Psalm 8:4. In the book of Daniel, which Jesus made direct reference to (Matthew 24:30), the phrase referred to the community of the faithful (Daniel 7:13-18). While his disciples clearly understood Jesus to be referring directly to himself as seen by their response, Matthew may have been indicating all three understandings to be accurate but in reverse order. Jesus was referring to himself, but as will be clear in 16:18, Jesus saw himself intimately connected with the community of the faithful as seen in the twelve disciples. They, in turn, were to be the true Israel, a light to the whole world, as reflected in the original promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-4).
As the true Israel, they were to reflect to the world what God intended to be ultimately true for all humanity. Thus to respond accurately to the question: "Who do [people] say that the Son of Man is?" was to understand who the church was meant to be through faith and what the church was to reflect as God's purpose for all of humanity. Then Jesus asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" which raised the question of what the role of the church (the body of Christ) was and its vision for humanity. "Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.' " When Jesus responded, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah...." he was confirming not only his own identity but the identity of the body of Christ or the church. It was this recognition of the very presence of God in their midst, and not Peter's steadiness of faith or consistent moral courage, that was the basis of Peter's blessedness. God was not someone apart from life but was revealed in the very center of life. The challenge for Christians is to recognize that same truth in the midst of the church.
