Jesus tells Peter that “the gates of hell shall never prevail against it,” referring to the church. He also tells Peter, “I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven”.
We find the roots of both of these statements of Jesus in the Old Testament.
In 2 Samuel 7, we read that David’s descendants will rule after him, and God will treat him as a son. This promise was provoked by David’s desire to build a house or temple for God. Jesus promises to build a
house, a church, on Peter, who has just acknowledged him as fulfilling the promise to David. He tells Peter that nothing will prevail against the church.
As we reflect today, this text invites us to notice how God is always faithful to God's promises. God promises David that a descendant of his will rule. Jesus is that
descendant. God promises that nothing will prevail against the church. Two centuries later, the church, built on Peter, continues to be present in the world.
In recent years, there has been a lot of fighting and division in the church. Some conservative people are fearful that the church is losing its essence. More
progressive people feel that the church is losing its ability to effectively proclaim the Gospel by not renewing itself. Today, perhaps, we are being asked to step back from whatever position we tend towards and remind ourselves that it is God’s church, and we ought to trust in God, who has repeatedly been faithful. God is in charge, and we should have faith in what God is doing.
Jesus also tells Peter that he will give him the “keys of the kingdom of heaven”. The Prophet Isaiah (22:15-25) describes how Eliakim was made the new prime minister of King Hezekiah of Judah. The Prophet says that God places on his shoulder the key of the House of David; he shall open, and he shall shut it.
This is echoed in Matthew’s Gospel in the scene we are reflecting on this week. Although we cannot be entirely sure what Jesus means, and scholars have various opinions, we know that keys open doors. Could Jesus be saying to Peter - and in so doing giving him enormous authority - that he has the power to open the door of the Kingdom for others? His knowledge of Jesus, his relationship with Jesus, and his willingness to share can
become the key to unlocking the treasures of the Kingdom for others.
How might the Lord invite you to share your knowledge of Jesus and your relationship with him in very practical ways with others? Can your life become a ‘key’ through which others enter the Kingdom? Looking at it this way, we, too, realise that Jesus gives
enormous power to each of us, the ability to open the doors to the Kingdom by the way we choose to live or not.
Pause today. Can you trust in the promises of God, who has always shown faithfulness to us? Do you believe that God is in charge and at work in the church? In what way might your life and example be a ‘key’ for
others to glimpse the Kingdom of God?
Reflections by Fr Russell Pollitt SJ
