Father Koch: Simon Peter alone is prepared to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah
September 13, 2024 at 1:26 p.m.
Gospel reflection for Sept. 15, 24 th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Simon Peter is the spokesman of disciples and seems to have the natural leadership qualities that Jesus recognizes. His is more than just a natural trait as it is apparent that his faith and his abilities are gifts to him for the specific purpose that we see in this Gospel passage. Having spent this time with Jesus, hearing Jesus teach, and witnessing the many miracles and encounters between Jesus and the crowds, he has grown in his understanding of Jesus and developed a special personal relationship with him. It is this confluence of events that enables him to say to Jesus: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Many preachers, scholars, and even the saints of old often ridicule Simon Peter and the other disciples of Jesus, portraying them as bumbling, not all that intelligent, impetuous, and even arrogant. Some argue that St. Mark has a low opinion of the 12 and emphasizes this alleged ineptitude throughout the Gospel. It is true that given a cursory reading of the Gospel, one might draw this conclusion. However, a more careful read might lead to a different conclusion.
By the time we get to this point in the ministry of Jesus the disciples have been with him for quite an intense period of time. They have abandoned everything in their lives --- livelihood, family, and home -- in order to follow Jesus. We often overlook that they must have been successful in business. Simon and Peter owned fishing boats, and were in partnership with Zebedee and his sons, James and John. We also forget that they are young men. When Jesus calls them to be his disciples Jesus is about thirty (as Luke tells us). Scholars believe that Peter is in his early twenties. They were making their way in the world and were doing so well.
While one of the accusations made against Peter by the authorities at the beginning of his own public ministry is that he is “uneducated” they would be specifically pointing out that he did not attend a rabbinic school, that is, he did not study under the tutelage of one of the great rabbis of the time, as did Paul who was a student of the renown Gamaliel. This does not mean that Peter was illiterate, only that he was taught as a fisherman and therefore knew how to keep a budget, logs of his work, and negotiate prices in the marketplace.
If, as John’s Gospel suggests, he and the others were first disciples of John the Baptizer, then it demonstrates that Peter was open to the call of God in his life and desired a deeper relationship with God. He attended synagogue, was familiar with the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings, and had an awareness of his own need for conversion. This is evidenced on his own boat after Jesus teaches the crowd. Knowing that this fishing crew had caught nothing all night long, Jesus told Simon Peter to lower his nets to the other side and they made a remarkable catch of fish, more than they could handle. Peter’s response is very clever and telling: “leave me, for I am a sinful man.”
It was his faith, his desire for a deeper faith; his limited learning and desire for deeper learning, that led him to make such a profound confession then.
Jesus saw that faith in Peter, saw Peter in the synagogue before he ever spoke to him, and knew his heart well. Jesus also saw that leadership, his business acumen, and likely the way he treated his peers, boathands, and merchants in the marketplace.
Jesus knew Peter. Now Jesus wants to know if Peter knows him.
We should not be surprised, then, when it is Peter who utters the great insight: “You are the Christ!” Yes, it is the power of the Holy Spirit working in him, but he has been prepared for this moment throughout his life without his knowing it.
What happens next, and what happens in the future as Jesus is arrested, shows the need that Peter and each one of us has for on-going conversion and insight. He was not perfect, but he persevered in faith, even through his darkest moment in denying that he even knew who Jesus was. He did not walk, he did not take a cowardly way out and slink away, nor did he turn to utter despair as did Judas Iscariot.
Peter is the ideal disciple and the patron of the 265 popes who have followed him, each with his own journey of life, of faith. We pray that Peter continues to inspire Pope Francis in proclaiming Jesus Christ to the world.
Father Garry Koch is pastor of St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel.
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Gospel reflection for Sept. 15, 24 th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Simon Peter is the spokesman of disciples and seems to have the natural leadership qualities that Jesus recognizes. His is more than just a natural trait as it is apparent that his faith and his abilities are gifts to him for the specific purpose that we see in this Gospel passage. Having spent this time with Jesus, hearing Jesus teach, and witnessing the many miracles and encounters between Jesus and the crowds, he has grown in his understanding of Jesus and developed a special personal relationship with him. It is this confluence of events that enables him to say to Jesus: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Many preachers, scholars, and even the saints of old often ridicule Simon Peter and the other disciples of Jesus, portraying them as bumbling, not all that intelligent, impetuous, and even arrogant. Some argue that St. Mark has a low opinion of the 12 and emphasizes this alleged ineptitude throughout the Gospel. It is true that given a cursory reading of the Gospel, one might draw this conclusion. However, a more careful read might lead to a different conclusion.
By the time we get to this point in the ministry of Jesus the disciples have been with him for quite an intense period of time. They have abandoned everything in their lives --- livelihood, family, and home -- in order to follow Jesus. We often overlook that they must have been successful in business. Simon and Peter owned fishing boats, and were in partnership with Zebedee and his sons, James and John. We also forget that they are young men. When Jesus calls them to be his disciples Jesus is about thirty (as Luke tells us). Scholars believe that Peter is in his early twenties. They were making their way in the world and were doing so well.
While one of the accusations made against Peter by the authorities at the beginning of his own public ministry is that he is “uneducated” they would be specifically pointing out that he did not attend a rabbinic school, that is, he did not study under the tutelage of one of the great rabbis of the time, as did Paul who was a student of the renown Gamaliel. This does not mean that Peter was illiterate, only that he was taught as a fisherman and therefore knew how to keep a budget, logs of his work, and negotiate prices in the marketplace.
If, as John’s Gospel suggests, he and the others were first disciples of John the Baptizer, then it demonstrates that Peter was open to the call of God in his life and desired a deeper relationship with God. He attended synagogue, was familiar with the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings, and had an awareness of his own need for conversion. This is evidenced on his own boat after Jesus teaches the crowd. Knowing that this fishing crew had caught nothing all night long, Jesus told Simon Peter to lower his nets to the other side and they made a remarkable catch of fish, more than they could handle. Peter’s response is very clever and telling: “leave me, for I am a sinful man.”
It was his faith, his desire for a deeper faith; his limited learning and desire for deeper learning, that led him to make such a profound confession then.
Jesus saw that faith in Peter, saw Peter in the synagogue before he ever spoke to him, and knew his heart well. Jesus also saw that leadership, his business acumen, and likely the way he treated his peers, boathands, and merchants in the marketplace.
Jesus knew Peter. Now Jesus wants to know if Peter knows him.
We should not be surprised, then, when it is Peter who utters the great insight: “You are the Christ!” Yes, it is the power of the Holy Spirit working in him, but he has been prepared for this moment throughout his life without his knowing it.
What happens next, and what happens in the future as Jesus is arrested, shows the need that Peter and each one of us has for on-going conversion and insight. He was not perfect, but he persevered in faith, even through his darkest moment in denying that he even knew who Jesus was. He did not walk, he did not take a cowardly way out and slink away, nor did he turn to utter despair as did Judas Iscariot.
Peter is the ideal disciple and the patron of the 265 popes who have followed him, each with his own journey of life, of faith. We pray that Peter continues to inspire Pope Francis in proclaiming Jesus Christ to the world.
Father Garry Koch is pastor of St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel.