Commentary
Sunday, 8/23/2020, Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Faith Is the Key
First Reading Commentary: Isaiah 22:19-23
As we meditate on today’s prophecy from Isaiah, we are reminded once again that Christ not only fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament, Christ also relived many of the events of the Old Testament as He carried out the Father’s Will.
In today’s prophecy, the LORD said that He would summon Eliakim, son of Hilkiah and make him the father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the house of Judah. The LORD said that He would place the key of the House of David on Eliakim’s shoulder. If Eliakim opens the house, no one shall shut it and if Eliakim shuts the house, no one shall open it. Finally, the LORD said that He would fix Eliakim like a peg in a sure spot.
Sound familiar? Think about it. This is exactly what Christ did with Peter when He made Peter the Rock in today’s Gospel. Eliakim therefore is a forerunner to Peter and Christ relived the event associated with this prophecy. Let’s take a look at the comparisons.
The Pharisees and Sadducees had turned away from God by refusing to accept Christ. They were consumed in their own self-importance and self-righteousness. The Pharisees and Sadducees wanted the people to look up to them while they refused to accept the great works of Christ which testified to His being the Messiah.
If you read all of Isaiah 22, you will see that the leaders of the day also put themselves on a pedestal and expected the people to look up to them. For this reason, the LORD chose Eliakim who was loyal and faithful and made him the leader. Christ did the same thing by replacing the Pharisees and Sadducees with Peter and the Apostles.
The LORD gave Eliakim the key to the house of David and said, “…when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open. Christ gave Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and said, “…the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it…Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
In other words, the LORD gave absolute authority to Eliakim and Christ gave absolute authority to Peter. This is where the infallibility of the pope comes from. This does not mean that the pope is not capable of making human mistakes. However, because the pope is a descendant of Peter, it does mean that when the pope makes a declaration that it is infallible and absolute.
So, how many times in history has this happened? Once for sure and that was in 1950 when Pope Pius XII declared that Mary was assumed into heaven, body and soul. Some people argue that Pope Pius IX spoke infallibly in 1854 when he declared the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Either way, it is obvious that the infallibility of the pope is not taken lightly when it has only been used once or twice in over two thousand years. Refer to U.S.Catholic.org.
The LORD said that He would fix Eliakim like a peg in a sure spot. Christ made Peter the Rock. Eliakim was chosen because of his faith and Christ chose Peter because of his faith.
If we reflect on Scripture and take a moment to reflect on our liturgies for the past several weeks, we see God reaching out to those who have faith performing great works bestowing His grace on them and answering their prayers. We also see God being faithful to us. This is especially true today as the LORD chose Eliakim to be the father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Christ chose Peter, who was as broken as the rest of us, to be the Rock. Faith is the key that opens the door to salvation.
Have Faith in God’s Wisdom
Second Reading Commentary: Romans 11:33-36
Paul’s message today is all about faith. Specifically: having faith in the wisdom of God’s plan. We cannot understand God’s mind. It is foolish for us to even try because it is God who created us. Not the other way around.
We cannot be a counselor to God. Who are we to tell God what to do or even make suggestions? We can only ask because in His infinite mercy, God allows us to.
We cannot not give anything to God or repay Him for anything because He created all that there is. We have nothing to offer that God has not already given to us.
The only thing that we can do is use what God has given to us with gratitude and glory and praise of His name. We can only do that by having faith in God’s wisdom.
The Beauty of Faith
Gospel Commentary: Matthew 16:13-20
Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do the people say that the Son of Man is?” They answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets” Then Jesus asked, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
We see that people, including the disciples at this point, are confused as to who Jesus is. Peter is the first among them to acknowledge Jesus as the Christ. In doing so, Peter demonstrated his faith and Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”
In Exodus 33:20-22 the Lord made Moses the rock that would lead the children of Israel to the Promised Land. Moses is a rock of the Old Covenant and Peter is the rock of the New Covenant. But Peter has connections to other people in the Old Testament. By being chosen by Christ to be a leader, Peter is in the company of everyone that was chosen by the LORD to lead in the Old Testament. This includes Eliakim who was chosen by the LORD in today’s prophecy from Isaiah.
Jesus continued saying to Peter, “I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
With these words, Christ instituted the Sacrament of Confession and in so doing, fulfilled the Father’s wish. Consider the words that the Father said in Isaiah’s prophecy and compare them to what Christ said to Peter. The Father had the Sacrament of Confession in His plan all along.
Absolute authority was also given to Peter with those words. Think about that. God had enough faith in His creation to give authority in His Kingdom to a man. But then again, that authority cannot be exercised without absolute faith.
The same reason why Peter was able to proclaim that Jesus was the Christ is the same reason why Peter was given the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven with the authority that goes with possessing those keys. That authority is passed on through the Sacrament of Confession and it is in faith that we receive absolution. The beauty is that the gates are never closed to anyone with absolute faith no matter who they are or where they come from or what religion they profess.
