Starting Something New
Beginning something new can be exciting.
It can also be intimidating.
A new school.
A new job.
A new community.
A new responsibility.
We may immediately begin wondering:
Will I fit in?
Will I succeed?
What if I make a mistake?
Often, our instinct is to prove ourselves.
But today’s readings remind us that Christian success begins somewhere very different.
Not with proving ourselves.
With allowing God to work.
“I Will”
In the first reading, Shebna holds an important position in the kingdom of Judah, something like a prime minister or steward.
But he has made the work too much about himself.
So God intervenes.
Listen to the verbs:
“I will thrust you from your office.”
“I will summon my servant Eliakim.”
“I will clothe him.”
“I will give over to him your authority.”
“I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder.”
Again and again:
I will.
God is the one acting.
Eliakim still has work to do. He has real responsibility.
But the authority does not originate with him.
It is received.
That is an important distinction for all of us.
We have work to do.
But we were never meant to do it alone.
Who Do You Say That I Am?
Then Jesus asks His disciples two questions.
First:
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They give Him the answers circulating among the crowds.
John the Baptist.
Elijah.
Jeremiah.
One of the prophets.
Then Jesus makes the question personal:
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter answers:
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Peter sees something the crowds do not.
Jesus is not simply another holy man.
Not another prophet.
He is the Christ.
The Son of the living God.
And Jesus immediately makes clear where Peter’s insight came from:
“Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.”
Even Peter’s great profession of faith is first a gift.
“I Will Build My Church”
Then Jesus gives Simon a new identity:
“You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.”
Notice what Jesus does not say.
He does not say:
Peter, go build your church.
He says:
“I will build my church.”
Jesus is the builder.
The Church belongs to Him.
Peter is chosen to serve within what Christ Himself is building.
That matters because the Gospels make no attempt to hide Peter’s weaknesses.
He misunderstands.
He speaks too quickly.
He becomes afraid.
He will even deny Jesus.
And yet Christ chooses him.
Peter’s role does not rest on his being flawless.
It rests on Christ’s choice and the Father’s grace.
The same is true of us.
The Keys of the Kingdom
Jesus also tells Peter:
“I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.”
That image reaches directly back to Isaiah.
Eliakim is entrusted with the key of the House of David, the sign of real authority exercised on behalf of the king.
Now Jesus, the Son of David and the true King, entrusts Peter with the keys of His Kingdom.
The promise continues:
“Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
This is not Peter inventing his own authority.
It is authority received from Christ.
And through Peter and the apostles, Christ gives His Church a visible structure that continues through their successors.
The Church is not something each generation rebuilds from scratch.
It belongs to Jesus.
The Gates Will Not Prevail
Then comes one of the most consoling promises in Scripture:
“The gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”
The Church has seen weakness.
Scandal.
Persecution.
Bad decisions.
Sinful people.
Confusion.
And yet Christ has not abandoned His Church.
Why?
Because ultimately the Church's survival does not depend upon the brilliance or holiness of any one human being.
Christ said:
I will build My Church.
That does not excuse our failures.
It gives us a reason to remain faithful when human weakness is painfully obvious.
Our confidence is in Him.
Success According to God
We naturally want to succeed.
Students want good grades.
Professionals want meaningful careers.
Parents want their children to flourish.
Those are good desires.
But Christian success cannot be measured only by accomplishments.
Eventually, God is probably not going to ask about our GPA, résumé, title, or income.
The deeper questions will sound more like:
Did you stay close to Me?
Did you let Me build something through you?
Did you remain faithful to the Church I gave you?
Did you trust My work more than your own ability?
The Psalm gives us the posture we need:
“Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.”
We are the work of His hands too.
For Moms
Mothers can feel enormous pressure to build everything well.
A strong family.
Good children.
A peaceful home.
A meaningful faith life.
A secure future.
And when something goes wrong, it is easy to think:
What did I do wrong?
How do I fix this?
I should be doing more.
Today’s readings offer a needed correction.
You have real responsibility.
But you are not the builder of everything.
God is.
Your children ultimately belong to Him.
Your family belongs to Him.
Your vocation belongs to Him.
You are called to cooperate faithfully, not to control every outcome.
Sometimes the most faithful prayer is simply:
“Lord, You build. Show me my part.”
Questions to Sit With
- Where am I trying to prove myself instead of allowing God to lead and work through me?
- If Jesus asked me today, “Who do you say that I am?” what would my life reveal about my answer?
- What responsibility am I carrying as though everything depends entirely on me?
Family Practice
Choose one area where your family feels pressure right now.
Pray together:
“Jesus, this belongs to You. Show us what You are asking of us, and help us trust You with the rest.”
Then finish with the Psalm’s prayer:
“Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.”