The Third Sunday in Lent (CL)

Matthew 16:13-23
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Mt 16:13-23). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. The power of the keys is given to those who place their faith upon the firm foundation. Faith built on a rock will stand firm. Faith built upon sand is nothing. It is the foundation of our faith which has us proclaim the forgiveness of sins.

It is our sinful nature which is shown even in Peter as he tries to prevent Christ from going to the cross. We are sinful human beings in need of someone to cast Satan out of our lives. Humans focus on the things of men. Humans focus on things of this world and life around them. We focus on children, career, and politics. But God would have us keep in mind the things of heaven.

Christ gives all believers the power to proclaim forgiveness to one another. Christ even tells the disciples where this forgiveness will come from. The power to forgive comes from the fact that Christ will go to Jerusalem and be handed over to the scribes and chief priests. They will kill him as the sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. He will rise from the dead on the third day.

These are the things of God. God would have us not only proclaim the truth of our confession of faith. God would have us know that confession teaches that we are sinful and short sighted. But God has provided us with the perfect Sacrifice, the Son of the Living God. He is the one who looses us from bondage to sin.