Comments on the Readings for Sunday - 29th June 2008
Peter & Paul, apostles
focus of the day:
ACTS 12 : 1 - 11
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SUCCESSFUL DISCIPLING
The liturgy of the church likes to present the two great apostles Peter and Paul together. Each of these figures illuminates the other.The so-called profession of faith of Peter is a central text in the gospels. Today it is presented as the starting point and the foundatiion of Peter's mission and through him, the mission of all the followers of Jesus.
In a text from the letter to the Galatians, which is read on the vigil of the feast, Paul claims the rights inherent to the vocation he received. Unlike Peter, Paul was not among the first followers of Jesus. But his mission was directly entrusted to him, "through a revelation of Jesus Christ."
the first reading:
The story in Acts moves from Jerusalem through Judea and Samaria, and ends in Rome. Peter and Paul, in their persons, focus this movement. They witness the spirit of Jesus to Hebrew and no-Hebrew alike, during the first thirty years of the Christian history.ACTS 12 : 1 - 11
Acts divides that early history of the Christian community into two two almost equal periods. The first period, centred on Peter, ends with the last reference to the apostle at the meeting in Jerusalem (Ac.15). Peter confirms Paul's circumcision-free ministry to the Gentiles (Ac.15:7-11). Paul (Saul) has been introduced (Ac.9) and then becomes the vehicle of the spirit of Jesus in the second part of Acts just as Peter is such a vehicle in the early part of the story. Herod arrested Peter during the preparation for celebration of Passover (Ac.12:3-4). Linking Peter's arrest and release with the Exodus-commemoration, or Passover, is deliberate. Peter was with Jesus during his arrest and Easter "exodus" in Passover Week. Now Peter comes into the life of the early community (Ac.12:6- 11).New events around Peter demonstrate the same power of God working through him as with Jesus! Peter's arrest and release are evidence of the same reality and power that accompanied Jesus' "exodus"! The Spirit of God, active in raising Jesus, is active at the beginnings of the church when Peter is released. There is a continuity. The holy Spirit that moved other liberating agents in history and was conspicuously active in the story of Jesus, moves Peter in the same way as the Spirit moved the likes of Moses, the prophets, the Baptist, and Jesus! Later in Acts, after Peter fades from the record, this line of continuity will extend to include the witness of Paul. The same spirit of liberation and newness that characterized the work of the prophets and Jesus, is now active in the early church through Peter. In response to the community's prayer (Ac.12:5) God renewed for Peter the wonders of the original Hebrew Exodus and of Jesus' "exodus".
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the response:
The speaker in the Psalm expresses confidence in the new world that YHWH creates. It is a world ordered by YHWH’s justice and over which YHWH operates with life-giving faithfulness.PSALM 34 : 1 - 8
The psalmist speaks confidently about the new world that YHWH creates. It is a world ordered by YHWH's justice and over which YHWH presides with life-giving faithfulness (vv.4-8). The speaker invites others to join the celebrating and instructs how they can consolidate and sustain the new direction in their lives made possible by their obedience to and respect towards YHWH. The appropriate response to being rescued, is praise of YHWH (vv.1-3). The afflicted, desperate, resourceless and socially marginal ones, for whom YHWH had intervened against the powers of the age, have been remarkably released for new life! Transformation is possible. YHWH's protection is for God-fearers - those who obey YHWH.The speaker voices fully what is at stake in trustful living! Obedience assures God's powerful transformative presence. The vulnerable poor, may or may not be "God-fearers," but they must become so, to receive what the speaker has received from YHWH. God's blessing is quite concrete and material (v.8). Faith begins in simple trust in YHWH's attentiveness and generosity. Such a claim reassures and challenges those who find their own competence more impressive and more reliable than child-like trust.
The speaker's words undermine any excessive confidence in self, as well as excessive despair about the circumstances! The speaker stands in the long line of those who trust, obey, and receive all that they need for life! Hebrew hope is focused on the trustworthiness of YHWH. The whole earth is full of that loyalty - but obedient God-fearing ones, can read that creation. They discern in the good order of creation, the faithfulness of YHWH. They can trust because of the steadfastness of YHWH. The truth of the world is not self-evident. Creation is rightly read only through trusting in YHWH.
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the second reading:
The Second Letter to Timothy is in the form of a farewell statement from Paul that sums up his whole life as an offering to God.2 TIMOTHY 4 : 6 - 8, 17 - 18
The form of the letter is a farewell statement from Paul. Paul is not thinking of a possible execution but his whole life, culminating in his imminent death, as his offering to God! Since his conversion, he had offered everything to God; his money, scholarship, time, vigour of body, acuteness of mind, and devotion of heart! Only his life itself was left to offer. And he is prepared to offer that as well! The writer interprets Paul's attitude as the ending of his life approaches.The author draws a message for his own era with three metaphors comparing the discipleship of Jesus (2 T.4:17-18). Paul's life was "poured out" in the way pagans and Hebrews made drink offering to their god/s. According to the Christian tradition, Paul won his "crown of victory" as a scapegoat for Nero's unpopularity after the great fires of Rome. Reviewing Paul's life, the writer turns his thought to athletic imagery. Good disciples having "fought the good fight" and "won the race" - that is, remained loyal and faithful to the gospel of Jesus - can look forward to receiving the "crown of victory" which is the crown of the power-for-life, which will not wither or die like laurel leaves!
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the Gospel:
Matthew wrote to reconcile the more reasonable followers of James and of Paul, in that the Torah binds, but only as reinterpreted by Jesus!MATTHEW 16 : 13 - 19
Jesus asked his disciples who they thought the Son of man was (vv.13-15). Matthew's gospel is built around the coming of The One. Only Jesus uses the title "Son of man" (in Hebrew it means: a human one; THE human one; or humankind in general). In the Book of Daniel the phrase is used to describe a glorious figure who will receive from God the kingdom to come! By reporting that Jesus asked this question, Matthew shows that (Jesus) is interested in knowing what people were thinking about the ONE-who-is-to-come.Among the answers offered by the disciples the names of John the Baptist, Elijah and Jeremiah are mentioned (Mt.16:14). The Baptist, Elijah, and Jeremiah were all fiery personalities. They were prophets who raised questions about evil powers and authorities - about the government of their times! But Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God" (Mt.16:16 NJB). Matthew identifies Jesus with THE One. Peter uses the title as a statement of victory. At the moment that opposition to Jesus came into the open and hardened against Jesus, Peter proclaims, "Jesus, YOU are the Messiah"! The other disciples were saying that he was merely a new prophet. But Peter states that Jesus is the-ONE-who-is-to-come; that Jesus wasn't merely announcing the reigning of God - prophets had done that already - he was affirming that with the coming of Jesus, the reigning of God had come about!
Jesus' disciples hadn't noticed any change. Therefore in their eyes he must have been another prophet! They hadn't seen anything about him to suggest God's powerful reigning. Those who confess Jesus to be the Messiah of God, live out the unique graciousness that initiates the self-revelation of God. Even now, through this text, this graciousness keeps disclosing to the modern community of disciples, who Jesus is! Peter emerges as the recipient of such grace. He came to understand that Jesus was more than a prophet. He was the-ONE-who-was-to-come to fulfill the words of the prophets!
Peter believed in changing the world. Jesus called him blessed (Mt.16:17a). Many Christians still believe that Jesus is merely a prophet - and nothing more! But Peter is the "rock" on which Jesus says "I can build my community and the gates of the underworld can never overpower it" (Mt.16:18 NJB). Petros in Greek is "rock". Jesus gives Peter a nick-name, when he announced on whom he will build his church. Church comes from a Greek word ekklesia which didn't mean a religious institution at that time. It meant a gathering, or a community. Some of us can remember the translation, "the gates of hell will not prevail against it" (Mt.16:18) - but "the power of death" is nearer to the original meaning. Jesus was not talking about hell as we understand it now. He meant the Sheol of the Hebrews or Hades of the Greeks - the region of the dead!
In Matthew's account the declaration of who Jesus is, has special significance for the disciples' identity as a community. Peter emerges as the receiver of a revelation and as the foundation stone on which the community of disciples will be built! Peter and the community of disciples draw their distinctiveness from the confessions that claim them - not their own qualities! The firmness of Peter's faith, is his conviction that Jesus is the Messiah, or THE One who comes to change the world! Jesus notices that nobody else dared to talk with the same firmness of conviction. Jesus told Peter he was "a rock" and that he (Peter) could form a community which not even the powers of death could overcome. In a true community individuals don't die because they are in community with Jesus, and he will conquer death! If death can't do anything, other enemies can do even less!
Jesus "exits" leaving the work of extending of the reigning of God as the responsibility of his disciples. Jesus gives authority to leaders to condemn the rule of Economic Rationalists and Socialists and to defend the exploited. The community of disciples was intended to extend the reigning of God. But the reigning of God would not be we call "the church!" The reigning of God would overflow the church to cover the whole earth! St.Paul said that in the end, the Messiah will deliver this "kingdom to the Father after destroying all other powers and authorities, and the last enemy to be destroyed will be death"(1 Co.15:24-25). That's the same reason Jesus says the powers of death will not overpower this community!
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