In response to Jesus’ question - “Who do you say I am?” - Peter says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” In this moment, impetuous Peter gets it spectacularly right! His answer, his exclamation, not only reveals the identity of Jesus but also is a profession of faith.
Peter, like us, certainly doesn’t always get things right. There are several moments in the Gospels when we know he is not in tune with Jesus. Peter has limited understanding and, often, limited vision. He cannot quite fathom it all out. Besides getting it wrong, we know that Peter denies Jesus three times.
Peter is a lot more like us than we might want to admit. In the living out of our faith, there are times when we get things spectacularly right. Sometimes, we get things wrong and need more understanding and vision. There are moments in our lives when we, like Peter, deny Jesus. These moments may not be in words but in our attitudes and actions. When our faith does not inform the whole of our lives - socially, at work,
politically and even the way we conduct ourselves on the sports field, for example, we risk denying Jesus by living contrary to his values.
Despite Peter’s fragility and downright failure at times, notice that Jesus does not dismiss him or choose to drop him from his intimate group of friends. Jesus has a remarkable way of dealing with Peter’s weaknesses and
strengths. He sees more in Peter than Peter probably sees in himself!
Just like Jesus can work with Peter, as he is, he can also work with us. Our fragilities and failures do not cause us to be cast away from the presence of Jesus. Like Peter, he can work with us and sees more potential in us than we can recognise in ourselves. Despite Peter’s ups and downs,
Jesus declares him to be “the rock” on which his Church is built!
Take time today to consider a moment when you got things spectacularly right for the Lord. How did they feel? Can you identify a moment when you got things spectacularly wrong? Does the Lord see more potential in you than you see in yourself? Take a few moments in silence to thank God
for how the Lord always stays close to you, even when you are not close to God.
Reflections by Fr Russell Pollitt
SJ
