“You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
During Christ’s Ministry there was great confusion surrounding just who Christ was. When asked “who do men say that I, the son of man, am?” Christ was told by his disciples that some of the people thought that he was John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Among those who called him John was Herod, who thought that John after rising from the dead had also received the gift of working miracles. Those who thought he was Elijah did so because of the way in which he rebuked the Pharisees and those who persecuted the people in the name of God, and also because Elijah was expected to return. Those who thought he was Jeremiah did so because of his natural wisdom acquired without any instruction – for while Jeremiah was yet a child he was command to prophecy.
When asked “but who do you say that I am” Peter says “you are the Christ, the son of the living God”. In response Christ calls Peter blessed for having received knowledge by Divine grace and by commending Peter Christ thereby shows the opinion of other men to be false.
Yet, barely two verses after having given the power to bind and loose by Christ, Peter is called an offence and a stumbling block to Christ. This chastisement is something that I find comfort in. In the example of Peter, Christ teaches us that he does not expect us to be perfect all the time or indeed some of the time. Like a good father chastises and corrects an errant child through love, so likewise Christ chastises and corrects through love. After all it is the one you love that you care most about and you want to see the best for. In Peter we have in reality every man and his flaws. Peter denied Christ three times yet Christ forgave him. Forgiveness in effect means to say what you have done to me I overlook in my love for you. Yes, Christ really forgives if he is asked.
There is a great lesson in this. Just as Peter fell through his own devices and weakness and was raised by Christ to hold his church, so each one of us – even in our weakest moments can find comfort in the thought that Christ will never let us fall away if only we look to him as our guiding light.