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Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isaiah 22:19–23; Romans 11:33–36; Matthew 16:13–20
In my Christology class, I often ask my students:
Who is Jesus for you?
They answer in different ways. He is my Savior. My friend. My Lord. My companion in life. My spiritual guide.
They are not only repeating a catechism answer. They are trying to say what Jesus means in their own life.
Jesus once asked his disciples the same question.
First he asked:
Who do people say that the Son of Man is?
The answers were impressive: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. They were great names of the past. To compare Jesus with the prophets was already a great compliment.
But it was not enough.
So Jesus asked the second question:
But who do you say that I am?
This question cannot be answered by public opinion. It cannot be answered by social media. It cannot be answered only by what our parents, teachers, or friends say.
Peter answered:
You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
This is the center of Christian faith.
Jesus is not only a good man from the past. He is not only a wise teacher. He is not only one religious option among many.
He is the Christ, the Anointed One sent by God. He is the Son of the living God. He is the Lord who saves.
And Jesus says to Peter:
You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church.
Peter is not a rock because he is perfect. He will fail. He will be afraid. He will deny Jesus. But he becomes a rock because God’s grace has opened his eyes, and because he confesses the truth about Jesus.
That is also how the Church is built.
The Church is not built first with stones, money, buildings, or plans. The Church is built with living people who say with their life:
Jesus is Lord.
Every time someone believes, another living stone is added. Every time someone returns to Christ, the house becomes stronger. Every time someone is freed from fear, sin, shame, or hopelessness, the keys of the kingdom are being used again.
Peter later preached after Pentecost:
God has made this Jesus both Lord and Christ.
That proclamation opened the door for many people. It still opens the door today.
At the heart of the Gospel is the question:
Who do you say Jesus is?
We do not need to invent the answer.
The answer was revealed by the Father to Peter, and through Peter to the Church:
You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Now the question becomes:
Will I receive this truth? Will I build my life on it?
If Jesus is the Christ — and he is — then he deserves more than admiration.
If he is the Son of the living God — and he is — then he deserves to be trusted, followed, and worshipped.
If you still have doubts, or if you are still seeking the truth, pray one honest sentence:
Father, show me who Jesus truly is.
Then make one choice that follows from that prayer.
Biblical Reflections on the Gospel of Matthew
Scripture Attribution
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition,
copyright © 1989, 1993
the Division of Christian Education of the National Council
of the Churches of
Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Content License
© 2025 Krakus.
Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
(Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial).