Jesus asks a simple question today in the Gospel reading, first to His disciples – “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?
After they give a few answers – John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, another one of the prophets – Jesus asks them directly:
“Who do you say that I am?”
Simon speaks up and exclaims, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Ding, ding, ding!!! Right answer Simon! Jesus then gives him his new name – Peter – and proceeds to give him the keys to the kingdom of Heaven, the authority to build His Church on earth! No pressure Peter…
You could almost say that this day, Jesus unlocked the gates to His unending depth and riches and wisdom and knowledge. Jesus unlocked and cracked open the door shedding light onto what is – and what was to come.
Seventeen years ago, my wife and I were on our blissful honeymoon following our wedding, and we were in Sanibel Island, Florida, on the Gulf of Mexico. It is a beautiful place, just off the mainland, quaint, and laid back (at least in the summer). Sanibel is famous for its seashells, which you can literally scoop up off the beach. It is truly a great place.
We were going to spend the latter half of our honeymoon in Clearwater, a few hours’ drive to the north. We decided to take the scenic route, and we stopped to eat in Sarasota. As we left the restaurant and headed to our rental car, I noticed I did not have the key. I looked in the car window and they were dangling from the ignition. Let’s just say a few non-Christian expletives left my mouth. It was hot, we were in an unknown place, and we were still a long way from our destination. This was in the days before smartphones, before OnStar. We were stuck.
So we looked through a phone book – remember those? And we searched for locksmiths. I think we picked the first on the list and called them. Thankfully he answered, and soon, the locksmith came, and was able to pop the lock in the car. What a Godsend. We thanked him profusely, paid him and relieved, went on our merry way. Best $50 ever spent! My wife and I muse and reminisce about this often, one of those things that just happen.
When you’re in a situation like that though, even as simple and harmless as it really was, it is big when you’re going through it!
When I was reading the readings for today, in all the talk about keys to the House of David and keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, this memory of locking our keys in our car came to mind. In both the first reading, and then in the Gospel, God gives away His key, His authority, to Eliakim, and then to Peter, both who He deems worthy for His purpose. In the case of Peter, it is in building – and unlocking – His Church in the world.
Peter was given the authority to unlock this truth and, with the disciples, spread it to the world. What truth? The truth Paul speaks of to the Romans – the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!
And so here we are today – 2000 years later. We’ve been given the keys. For so much that has been unlocked and revealed, taught and written down about God – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – we still sometimes though, lose the key. We forget where we placed it and we lock ourselves out. Sometimes this is simply letting life distract us, as I surely was when I lock the key in the car – and sometimes we deliberately make the choice to throw that key away, or at least in a drawer where it is sure to be forgotten about.
We then get locked out. Just as we were locked out of our car, when we let this happen in our faith, in our spirituality, we lock ourselves out from God, or maybe better said – we lock God out of our hearts, out of our minds, and our very soul. Distractions overcome us. Circumstances consume us. And often, we lose focus on what we need to be doing.
And then Jesus has to come back to us and ask us that all important question to us – who am I to you? Where am I in your life? I want to be let in again. Let me help you. Unlock your heart.
Who do you say that I am?
The thing is, he will likely do this through others. He’ll work through the choices we make, through the things that just happen, those things that are out of our control – whether they result in good or bad, He will make Himself known. Whether it is a locksmith, a friend, or a stranger on the street, Jesus will ask us – Do you see me right here, in front of you? I’m right here. I can help.
He comes again and again, to give us a key – the key to unlock our hearts – so He can come into our very soul and flood us with His love, that which can transform us, so we can be with Him for eternity.
Do we answer Him? Do we take the key and let Him in?
