Acts 12.1-11; 1 Timothy 4:6-8,17&18; Matthew 16.13-19
St. Peter’s confession of Jesus at Caesarea Philippi
Jesus said to his disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16.15-16
‘Who do you think you are ?’ is not only an existential question, but a popular BBC program in which a well know celebrity traces back their personal ancestry. Sometimes their research into the past reveals unknown and unexpected details of their origins.
Today’s feast looks back to our first ancestors in the faith – the two great patriarchs of the faith- Peter and Paul- without whom there would be no Church or Christianity as we know it today. They define ‘who we are’ by their love for Christ and his Church.
From earliest times, the Church celebrates the two great Apostles of Christ on this day, it being the day honoured as the anniversary of their martyrdom in Rome around the year 64AD and during the reign of the Emperor Nero.
Early tradition says S. Paul was beheaded – capital punishment for a Roman citizens, while S. Peter was crucified. And there is a legend that says Peter asked to be crucified upside down as he was ashamed to die in imitation of the Lord’s own death.
The martyrdom of Peter and Paul was part of a wider persecution of Christians in the city of Roman. Tomorrow, therefore, the Church commemorates the First Christian martyrs in Roman, who also died for their faith in Christ.
Persecution, however, did not stamp out the faith in Rome or anywhere else across the Empire. Instead it caused an increased in the numbers of believers who were prepared to be martyred for the name of Christ. This continued for the next two and a half centuries and led Tertullian in 197AD to observe that "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church"
To confess you were a Christian in those early days meant that many sort martyrdom to be an imitator of the suffering of God and go straight to being with Jesus in paradise.
But in the year 313 AD this changed with the Edict of Milan. Persecution stopped and the Emperor Constantine adopted Christianity as the official religion of the Empire. Constantine himself became the first Christian Emperor. As peace came to the Church to seek a martyr’s death was discouraged.
This gave rise to those who felt called to renounce the world and offer their life to Christ in a different way.
The most famous of these was St. Antony who was drawn to life in the desert of Egypt as a hermit. In a short time he was followed by men and some women known as the desert Fathers and Mothers. Their witness became known as ‘White Martyrdom’ in contrast a ‘Red Martyrdom’ – those who blood had been shed during persecution.
Today many Christians still seek this white martyrdom, as monks, nuns and hermits. Others Christians today, without seeking to die for their faith, become red martyrs in places were Christians are persecuted for the Name of Jesus.
Against this background, past and present, it is therefore impossible to exaggerate the importance of Peter’s confession of Jesus at Caesarea Philippi.
Jesus had retreated there from the crowds to this region 20 or so miles north of the Sea of Galilee. The majority of the population of that town were Gentiles. There few of Jesus’ opponents amongst the scribes and Pharisees were likely to follow him. Here he could be alone with his disciples.
Already Jesus’ public ministry had generated the growing expectation that he was a prophetic leader about to restore the kingdom of Israel and redeem the nation. [Cf.Acts1 & Luke 24]
The time had come for Jesus to consolidate his disciples’ faith in him. How firm and steady was their faith? Healready knew, but he needed them to recognise for themselves their strengths and weakness for testing times that lay ahead.
So he probes his disciples with his questions.
First he asks : “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
The disciples, report the popular rumours going around that he is another John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one the prophets.
Then Jesus asks them directly: “But who do you say that I am?”
Is he a prophet, or is more than a prophet? Earlier the disciple would remember how when speaking of John the Baptist Jesus himself had said of John, ‘Yes, he was a prophet, yet I tell you, and more than a prophet.’
Could they say more now what human flesh and blood had witnessed?
Then Simon Peter confesses ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!’
Peter’s confession reveals the all-important universal and spiritual truth of who Jesus is. Peter sees with the eyes faith the divinity of Jesus veiled in his humanity. Jesus is Christ, the Son of the living God. The Word of God made flesh.
His confession comes from the hidden and illuminating friendship of the Holy Spirit of God.
St. Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians , ‘No one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.’ [I Cor 12.3]
And in his letter to the Romans more specifically he says: if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [Rom 10.9]
In response to Peter’s confession Jesus gives him his blessing, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
Today we come to Church to confess our faith in Christ and to receive his blessing and grace in Holy Communion.
We learn our faith from in the words of the Catholic Creeds; most notably, those in the Nicene Creed, which was agreed by the bishops of the Church 1700 years ago this year.
It is into this living faith of the Catholic Church we have been baptised and we reaffirm this faith when we recite it at the renewal of our baptismal promises.
But our recitation of words must be fired by the Holy Spirit for our faith to be right and true. Therefore Jesus’ probing question to his disciples probes our faith every day. On it depends the salvation of our souls.
‘Do not have Jesus Christ on your lips and the world in you hearts’ said the early martyr and bishop St. Ignatius of Antioch.
‘Who do you say I am?’ – Jesus’ question invites to explore our hearts and the eternal depths of our faith in him.
We remember that after Jesus was raised from the dead he met Simon Peter and asked him, not this time ‘Who do you say I am?’ but, ‘Do you love me?’ And now in a similar manner he also asks us declare our love for him .
On this feast day of the two great apostles we ask them to pray for us that we may receive grace to confess with our lips Jesus Christ as Lord, and believe on him with pure and loving hearts.
S. Peter and S. Paul pray for us.
Amen
Father Andrew