Upon Peter’s proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 16:16), Jesus stated that he would build his Church upon Peter, the rock (Matthew 16:18). He also gave Peter the keys to his Kingdom, sharing his authorities with Peter to bind and loose what is on earth to what is in heaven (Matthew 16:19). Namely, Jesus appointed Peter to serve as the chief administrator of the Church, as Eliakim was so to the Kingdom of Judah, when Hezekiah was king. (Isaiah 22:20-23).
(21st Sunday – Matthew 16:13-20)
Then, Jesus foretold his death and resurrection, as
the Messiah (Matthew 16:21). But, Peter protested to the prospect of Jesus’
death, and Jesus rebuked Peter for being an obstacle to Jesus’ Messianic
mission, even calling Peter “Satan” (Matthew 16:22-23). Jesus attributed Peter’s
problem to thinking as humans do but not as God does (Matthew 16:23). Upon
this, Jesus explained what it takes to follow him as his disciples: self-denial
and carrying cross, indicating that being his disciples could cost their lives
(Matthew 16:24). And Jesus assured of great reward for offering themselves as
living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) (Matthew 16:27), reminding not to forfeit this
great reward from God for saving their own lives.
(22nd Sunday – Matthew 16:21-27)
Those who constitute the Church that Jesus builds
upon Peter, the rock, are those who follow Jesus. Namely, they are disciples of
Jesus. They all understood and practiced self-denial and carried cross in
following Jesus. And, from the day of Pentecost, the day of the birth of the
Church, on, it was Peter, who led the apostolic mission of the Church, as
written in the Acts of the Apostles.
The very first auxiliary bishops of the nascent Church
were the original twelve disciples (Matthias replacing Judas – Acts 1:21-26),
and Peter was the first archbishop. Although
the term, “Pope” was not used until the time of St. Leo the Great in the 5th
century, given what Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:18-19, Peter is
considered as the first Pope. Peter was the one, whom Jesus shared his
authorities with, as symbolized in the keys to the Kingdom to bind and loose
what is on earth to what is in heaven (Matthew 16:19). However, in the Gospel
text for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A, Matthew
18:15-20, Jesus further extended the authorities shared first with Peter to the
rest of his disciples – allowing them to bind and loose what is on earth to
what is in heaven (Matthew 18:18). This indicates that Jesus wanted the rest of
his disciples to assist Peter. Jesus architected the structure of Pope among
the cardinals or archbishop among bishops (auxiliary bishops).
Now, in the Gospel Reading text, Jesus tells his
disciples one of the tasks that they are authorized by him is to serve as watchmen
in ecclesiastical koinoinia, namely,
the Ekklesia (Church). Having a
watchman in the community of the faithful was not something that Jesus
initiated for his Church. As a matter of fact, God the Father had commissioned
Ezekiel, a prophet and priest, to serve as the watchman for the post-exilic
faith community in Jerusalem, as described in the First Reading (Ezekiel
33:7-9). Because the Israelites lost Jerusalem to the Babylonians as divine
judgement for their sins (i.e. Jeremiah 5-6; 9:11; 13:9; 19:8; 26:18; Psalm
137), God wanted to ensure that the restored Temple in Jerusalem and its faith
community were not plagued with sins. For this, God appointed Ezekiel as the
watchman so that none would be subject to judgement – so that Jerusalem would
not face judgement. And, God also warned that a watchman would be guilty if he
failed to warn a guilty sinner, resulting in his judgement (Ezekiel 33:8).
In envisioning his Church, Jesus commissions his
disciples as presbyteries, Peter being the chief presbytery, giving them the authorities
to serve as the watchmen – to help a sinning member of the faith community
repent and reconcile. This way, the harmonious unity of the community will not
be lost – keeping as one body of Christ with no part of the body missing (1
Corinthians 12:12-31). What Jesus instructed to his disciples, who were to be
the first batch of bishops of his Church, as to call a sinning member in
private for penance and reconciliation (Matthew 18:15). This way, this member
would not be embarrassed. It is a confrontation of sinner’s sin with care. But,
if the sinning member is not able to repent and reconcile, then, the next step
was to call this person to a small council of maximum two persons (Matthew 18:16),
reflecting the principle of Deuteronomy 19:15.
Basically, having multiple members in helping the sinning member repent
and reconcile is to ensure that the tribunal is fair and just. Now, if this
step does not work, then, Jesus instructs the leaders to bring the sinning
member to the entire Church community, letting the Church confront the sin
(Matthew 18:17). This is like brining a sinning member to a great assembly, in
a manner of public tribunal. And, if this final step does not work, then, Jesus
instructs to treat the sinning member, who refuses to repent and reconcile as a
Gentile or tax collectors, meaning to regard this person as an outsider
(Matthew 18:19). It means that a sinning members who stubbornly refuse to admit
their sins for repentance and reconciliation are to be excommunicated. And,
later, Paul gave the same teaching to the nascent church in Corinth (1
Corinthians 5:1-13).
So, the
disciples were, thereby, given by Jesus the authorities to put sinning members
of the Church to progressive tribunals until they come clean with their sins
and reconcile, as the watchmen and as their ecclesiastic authorities (Matthew
18:18). Remember the expression of “binding and loosing…on earth and in heaven”(Matthew
16:19; 18:18) means the authorities given by Jesus.
Jesus wants his Church to be the community of prayer
and harmony (Matthew 18:19), and he is present among the faithful witnesses in
harmonious unity (Matthew 18:20).
When Jesus spoke about the Church that he builds,
with Peter as the chief presbytery (Matthew 16:18), when Jesus spoke of what it
takes to be his disciples and follow him (Matthew 16:24-27) and when he gave
the authorities to serve as watchmen for his Church (Matthew 18:15-18), Judas
was among the twelve disciples.
There is a curious question as to whether Judas
would have been restored by Jesus to the discipleship – if he did not commit
suicide but reconciled with Jesus. Judas obviously realized how grave his sin
against Jesus was by returning the dirty money he received for “selling” Jesus,
awaken to his conscience (Mathew 27:3-4). At least, Jesus watched over Peter,
who once abandoned him, and called him for reconciliation and restored him to
the discipleship (John 21:1-19).
Jesus, who has founded the Church, wants to keep her
one body with all her parts in harmonious unity. He wants her, his bride to be
(Revelation 19:6-9) to be healthy and pure (cf. Ephesians 5:25-27). By keeping
the watchmen within with authorities, he can assure the health and purity due
to harmonious unity of all parts. The authorized service of the watchmen in the
Church by the ecclesiastical leaders, to help sinners repent and reconcile, is
corresponding to the self-healing function of the body. And, the Second Reading
(Romans 13:8-10) suggests that the ecclesiastical service of the watchmen is an
act of Jesus’ mandatum novum: loving
one another as he has done (John 13:34). It means that serving as watchmen,
calling sinning brothers and sisters of the koinoinia
should not be judgemental and accusatory. It must be done with love – care and
mercy, reflecting these words of Jesus: Be
merciful, just as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:36).
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