Peter, Model of a Faithful Follower of Christ
A Reflection on Mt. 16:13-20
by Bro. Peter Pocbit, et al.
This is the confession of St. Peter, the model of confessing the faith. “You are Christ, the Son of the living God.” You may decide that Peter is the center of the story but behind his blessedness is Grace. The invisible guide and support of the disciple to being a rock of faith and spiritual strength goes to God the Father. God is the source of the strength of Peter.
The confession of Peter that Christ is the Messiah is consistent to God’s promises of freedom from humanity’s slavery to sin and death. The Holy Spirit helped Peter to recognize the message of God. Given and relying by himself, Peter had no capacity to make that salvific declaration. It happened only through the generosity of God that Peter is able to see in the eyes of faith the real and true Messiah.
Of all the disciples, Peter was chosen as the rock to upon which the Church of the Lord will be established. Why? Perhaps of all the disciples, Peter has the qualities to recieve this gift. Yes, Peter could be uneducated, fickle minded, rash and hasty in acting and speaking, but he is also gentle and firm at the same time, capable of great loyalty and love, and has the air of authority and maturity among the disciples. Most importantly, he is humble enough to admit his faults, especially in denying is affiliation with the Lord. Peter received the distinction for being the “rock” because he allowed the Holy Spirit to work in his life and with strength and much courage, he tirelessly labored to lead the disciples and the early Christians to remain faithful to Jesus Christ.
Do we have a strong faith like Peter? Can we humbly admit your sins in order to be friends with Jesus? Can we allow ourselves to be formed and molded by the Holy Spirit so that we can grow in maturity of our faith in God? There are so many things we can learn from Peter. God will always lead us to a path that will utilize our qualities for his Kingdom. Let us like Peter allow God to teach, mold, and guide us to becoming the person we ought to be for Christ.