21ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME A
SILENTLY AND QUIETLY REVEALED
MT 16; 13-20
MESSAGE
Why did Jesus not directly claim he was God? It would have made a real difference. In fact, he even forbade his disciples to tell others that he was the Christ. Today Muslim, Iglesia ni Cristo and other cults refuse to believe in Jesus just because they wanted an explicit word from his lips about his real identity.
But the disciples and apostles did not need clear and exact words. Living with Jesus, they observed his actions, absorbed his words, witnessed his miracles, marveled at their own changed lives after encountering him. For who can bring the dead back to life? Who has the power to forgive sins? Who can fix broken hearts and shattered lives but God alone?
That was why it was not difficult for Peter to verbalize what all of them knew deep inside: You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God! He did not say this on his own; he was slowly and quietly guided by the Father who revealed things in his heart. It came about as an encounter, not as a doctrine.
And the same could be said of Peter. The Lord Jesus did not choose him because of his great potential. He was not the natural leader or gifted strategist. He was slow to grasp; he was too impulsive. But Jesus knew Peter’s heart; it was full of passion, willing to sacrifice, ready to die for the Gospel and for the Kingdom. Thus to him was bestowed a new name, Peter – the rock upon whom the church was built.
In life, this is both mysterious and true. There are things that are not obvious at one look but the heart tells us something else. Why do we keep loving this person? Why do you persevere in this job? Why does this dream keep persisting in your mind? Many times, God reveals to us slowly and quietly, without clear words or explicit signs. We just know, because we are guided.
REFLECT
From his heart, Peter expressed the faith in Jesus of the whole People of God. From his heart, Jesus affirmed the future role of Peter, his imperfect but trustworthy apostle. Listen to the Lord as you pray this week; listen intently as he tells you: You are my child, I trust you, I support you, I love you, you are alive because I still have a mission for you.
