Matthew 16: 13-20 GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (August 23, 2020)
After that, Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi. He asked his disciples, “ Who do people say the Son of Man is? “
They said, “For some of them, you are John the Baptist; for others Elijah, or Jeremiah or one of the Prophets.”
Jesus asked them, “But you, who do you say I am?”
Peter answered you are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “It is well for you, Simon Barjona, for it is not flesh or blood that has revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And no I say to you: You are Peter; and on this Rock I will build my church; and never will the powers of death overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you unbind on earth shall be unbound in heaven. “Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
POINTS OF REFLECTION
Many of us, if not all, wanted to have a perfect life. That is why many end up idolizing someone whom he/she admires even if they do not really know them personally. In other words, in the efforts of perfecting life, no one could avoid picking up a life’s model. A model that would suffice the kind of character and personality that is appreciable. And tell you, only few would normally choose Jesus as their model because they do not really know Him personally.
A perfect life is possible with a perfect model. A model that is carefully chosen borne out of personal knowledge, personal encounter and deeper long lasting relationship. When Jesus asked Peter “Who do people say the Son of Man is? “ This was not a message of sourcing out information like ordinary research do, but to tell us that only few have knowledge about the Son of Man duly represented by Peter in the given scenario.
Let it be known that God is our creator and that the Holy Bible is the manual of life whom God has created. Should anyone want to make use of his life and unleash its full potential? Then better for him to carefully read and understand the instructional usage of life contained in the Holy Bible. There, he would understand that the perfect model of a perfect life is none other than Jesus himself.
Noticed that only Peter had claimed for the first time to know Jesus. No doubt for he is always in the company of Jesus allowing him to have a closer and deeper relationship with Jesus with the blessing of the Father, who is in heaven. It was when Jesus had expressed his full trust to Peter evidently as he said “You are Peter; and on this Rock I will build my church; and never will the powers of death overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you unbind on earth shall be unbound in heaven.”
Jesus blessed Peter with all the knowledge and understanding about heaven trusting him the power to pre-qualify man’s soul and the keeper of the keys in the kingdom of heaven. The quality of this trust unto Peter was very high considering Peter is one of our kind and given the authority to bind and unbind what could be bound and unbound in heaven.
Finally brothers and sisters in Christ, a perfect life can be possible with the perfect model. The manual of life (The Holy Bible) revealed that Jesus is the perfect model of a perfect life.
Visits: 1884
Doctor in Development Education ( Dev. Ed. D.), an all time educator as School Head and HEI Instructor.
