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On Loosing and Binding

by Parrish W. Jones, Ph.D.

©2005. All rights reserved.

Psalm 124
Exodus 1:8-2:10
Matthew 16:13-20

We read this morning these two lessons from what appear very different books. In fact, it is hard to read Matthew apart from Exodus because it frames Jesus's life so as to show that Jesus reconstructs the journey of the Hebrew people. One may say that apart from knowing the God of the Exodus one cannot know the Jesus of Matthew. Walter Brueggemann writes: "The God of the Bible is in fact and in principle deeply embedded in this narrative, and cannot be fully known apart from this narrative." ( New Interpreter's Bible: Exodus ).

Matthew has the life of Jesus parallel, many times very closely, the narrative of Exodus. Therefore, if we get to know Exodus, we can understand Matthew a bit better. Certainly, to know the God of the Exodus helps us know the answer to the primary question before us: Who is God/Jesus?

In our lesson this morning we find Jesus at the foot of the mountain he will ascend later for the Transfiguration.  You will remember that Jesus appears on that mountain top with Moses and Elijah. Thus Matthew makes clear that Jesus is identified as both law giver and prophet.

The question that Jesus asks at the bottom of this mountain, namely, "Who do people say that I am?" is very much the question of Exodus in regard to God. That question is specifically asked at the foot of Mt. Sinai as the people await Moses's return from his ascent up the mountain to meet with God. It was a question they found themselves failing to answer correctly when they chose to shape a golden calf to worship. They discovered how poorly they had answered the question when Moses descended the mountain with the commandments.

So when Jesus asks the disciples who people are saying he is, the people have gotten it right. Jesus is a prophet. Perhaps he is not one of the specific prophets come back from the dead as many thought, but he is a prophet. So when he asks the disciples who they say he is, he is seeking for them to be more specific. As we read, Peter responds, "You are the Messiah, Son of the Living God."

I cannot help but believe that Peter's head then began to swell as Jesus responded. If Peter was anything like me, and I believe he was, then his head began to swell and grow bigger and bigger as Jesus spoke. Despite several things that would caution him, the fact that he had gotten the answer right was enough to make him prideful. Jesus has some pretty nice things to say to Peter but Peter may have missed other things. Peter had gotten it right, but Jesus said that the answer had not come from Peter but the Father had given the answer to him.

The reason I compare Peter to me is that I believe that he was captivated by the things most of us are: success, prestige, reputation, and the like. These are things our culture tell us are good--things that tempt me. However, scripture calls us to servant-hood not to position.

Peter missed the humbling aspects of Jesus's words. Peter did not get the answer, it was given, inspired in him. Our greatest thoughts and insights are seldom our own but divinely given. In fact, scripture teaches us that we can confess Jesus as savior only because God gives us faith.

Now Peter had more to boast about. Jesus calls him Rock. The Greek word is Petros, a word that is translated "rock" into English.  While the name Peter is common to us, in the time of the scriptures, it was hardly known. Thus Jesus is making a novel naming. Simon is "Rock" and on it Jesus will build the church. Peter may have missed that aspect. Jesus will build with the materials he has at his disposal. Like Peter we are the means by which Jesus builds his church. While that is significant in itself it is not a point of pride or arrogance. We read into Peter here our own responses because we are all too inclined to seek prestige, success, recognition for the things we do. Yet, in the Christian life, we recognize that God is the agent of all that is done. We can only give thanks that we have been a part of God's providence.

And Jesus continues to say things that could make Peter's head and our grow out of proportion, like, "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." What authority! Sadly, the church has let this go too much to its head. We must contemplate the meaning of this.

First, we must take care not to become arrogant in regard to this authority. Jesus is suggesting a fairly damning fact. Whatever we do as God's people, God is not going to come down and fix things if we screw up. From this point of view, God will let our decisions stand even if they come back to haunt and or damn us. That seems to be historical fact. So we best take considerable care in what we chose to loose or bind.

Second, we have the authority to chose in ways that will enslave or liberate us. These words of Jesus give authority but are freighted with responsibility. Our decisions can bring good or ill. Consider how different things would have been had the midwives of Egypt chosen to follow law and submit to the national security measures of their national leader. The sons of the Hebrews would have died at birth and Moses would not have been heard from and perhaps, Exodus may never have been written. Consider if Pharoah's own daughter had submitted to her father's and her national leader's' edict. Consider the courage she had to have mustered to subvert the cultural laws that said that daughters do what fathers say or face death.

The collaboration of these women—Egyptian and Hebrew—was necessary to loose the forces of Yahweh against the oppressive power of Pharoah's national security plan. By saying no, these women unleashed the forces of liberation in the world.

Recall the forces they had to counter and consider our own position as God's people seeking our way in the world as we know it. We seek to discern a vision for the mission of Summit Presbyterian Church. Whatever we discern in the next several months will either free us to do great good and exhibit the kingdom of heaven or it will bind us so that the light of God is dimmed in Stafford and the larger world. Thus we need pray diligently for the light of God that we may see clearly and walk full of faith.