22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Matt 16: 21-27

Jesus has His divine ways to select the members of His cabinet for the Kingdom of God, ways that are beyond human comprehension. Actually Jesus picks those who are odd in human eyes.

Jesus calls Judas Iscariot, who might have been working in a bank. Why Judas? Why a parsimonious manager? Does Jesus’ Cabinet really need a financial specialist? I wonder if Jesus can foresee that Judas has the potential to betray the master with a kiss? Anyway, Judas later sells Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.

Above all… Jesus calls Peter, the fisherman. Just like the other eleven guys, Peter might have left everything behind to follow Jesus because of his own ambition. Perhaps he expects to hold a very significant office in the new kingdom of the new Israel (in this kingdom, Jesus is the King). Too bad! The more he follows Jesus the more he discovers that he might have chosen the wrong bank to invest his money.

In Caesarea Philippi, the former fisherman confesses Jesus is the Messiah, a figure like King David who would drive the Romans out of Palestine and restore the Davidic kingdom.

Jesus likes Peter’s reply and praises the former fisherman, “Simon, you are blessed…” (Matt 16:17).

He then establishes His church on the rock Peter!

He even gives Peter the keys to heaven and Hades!

Jesus then informs him (and the other eleven) of His near future, i.e., the Messiah will go to Jerusalem and receive a death sentence in the city…
But, Peter certainly feels disappointed with a vision of the near future that Jesus has just revealed (Why not?).

He takes Jesus aside for a personal correction, “God forbids you to do so…” (Matt 16:22).

But Jesus rebukes the one whom he had just praised, “Satan, get away from me…” (Matt 16:23).

Well! Well! Well! Peter must perspire heavily, for being called Satan is a serious matter in Jewish culture. Peter and the reader of the Bible might never expect Rabbi Jesus would have called his dearest student that dreadful name, Satan!… A severe scolding!

The wheel of life continues its normal cycle which leads to the future;
The future that Jesus has foretold not only once but three times eventually becomes a reality;

That reality takes place in the Garden of Olives when Peter runs away as quickly as he can while his master is surrounded by the Roman soldiers (why not?).

But, perhaps Peter still hopes (whatever hope that he might have been nurtured by heaven). And this hope brings Peter to the courtyard of the High priest.

But, cursed is Peter for the Galilean accent that he shares with Jesus. In front of three insignificant people in society, three times Peter denies his knowledge of Jesus. Yes, the person who had installed Peter as the leader of His Church, the person who had given Peter the keys to both, below and above, the Messiah is denied by Peter in public for three times.

At that moment, the rooster crows the second time, exactly as Jesus had foretold Peter during the Passover meal… What an abysmal sound!… The former fisherman runs away from the courtyard bursting into tears!… Perhaps the eyes of his master follow after Peter… Peter experiences a free fall!… He is in the depths of distress!!!

At the moment the death sentence is pronounced for Jesus, Judas returns to the Temple and throws the thirty pieces of silver at the ones with whom he had cut a deal. And he runs away. To where is he running? A tree by the road is his intended destination. A rope is hung on a branch of the tree, a human life falls down to the ground!

But, unlike Judas, despite facing the most difficult moment in his life, Peter does not look for a tree, but he looks to the future… He looks for the day when he can see the Lord again, so he can ask for forgiveness from the master…

And Peter hopes… And this hope keeps his vigil candle alight until the moment he finally catches sight of the risen Jesus by the sea of Tiberias on that early morning (John 21).

Dear friend,
Judas and Peter at the same moment in life commit the same mistake. Both bet all they have on the game of life. Both deny their master. Both betray Jesus. But, while Peter hopes, Judas does not…
And this hope differentiates Peter from Judas.
This hope keeps the broken heart of the former fisherman beating.
This hope enables Peter to survive while living the most despairing moments in his life.
And Peter becomes the first Pope of the church.
But Judas has been named one of the biggest Losers in salvation history!
The number 13 associated with Judas has become an unlucky number!
His name has been associated with countless negative images!
Oh Judah! Why didn’t you hope?
Oh Judah! Despair changed your life, for the worst!
Oh Peter! Hope changed your life, for the better
Oh hope! Source of new life!
Hope can change the course of one’s life.
Hope! Oh, hope! The power of hope!
Friend! Let us HOPE!