Keys to the Kingdom

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” In no uncertain terms Jesus redefines the identity of this disciple in Matthew 16, whom he had just referred to as a sinfully weak flesh-and-blood being. No more.

Now he is qualified to carry the name Peter, which means “rock man.” Qualified not by some great strength of some kind or membership in a religious organization but by his conviction in his Savior Jesus, who is not only the rock but also the builder of the church.

Whose church? Not St. Peter’s church! Not the Lutheran Church! Not First Church! Jesus says, “I will build my church.” It’s Jesus’ church, and he will build it with or without us! Today he reminds us he’d rather do it with us.

He goes on to explain that Peter, and other believers given the same promise by Jesus elsewhere, have the “keys of the kingdom of heaven” to bind and to loose, to lock and to unlock. Jesus signs us on as partners with him to build his church! Like a parent hands the car keys over to a 16-year-old and entrusts that teen with a new and great responsibility, Jesus entrusts his kingdom to us! But he doesn’t leave us alone.

When we lock the kingdom of heaven to someone who refuses and rejects Jesus, it is a validation of what is already and will continue to be true in heaven. When we unlock the kingdom of heaven to someone who repents and relies on Jesus, it is a validation of what is already and will continue to be true in heaven.

Here’s a helpful hint for this great responsibility. Notice how Jesus uses the words “church” and “kingdom” interchangeably. The proper way to understand Jesus’ kingdom is not a place but an organized activity. Since Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world, it isn’t outlined with boundaries and territories and legislation. Instead the kingdom of heaven operates wherever the saving identity of Jesus is believed and shared.

How helpful for building the kingdom it would be if Christians understood the word “church” in the same way! Instead of a place we go let’s consider church a process we experience, not a destination where you arrive and cross the finish line and say, “I’m done,” but a race of constant participation.

Instead of an ancient castle with a moat around it filled with water and alligators that monopolizes the truth about God, let’s create our church to be more like a summer festival celebrating a story … a cause … a life … and sharing it with as many people as possible who are interested in as many ways as we can imagine.

Unlike this moment in the ministry of Jesus when it wasn’t quite time for his disciples to go and tell everyone about the true identity of the Savior, today the time has come. Jesus has given us his blessing! Hell cannot stand against us! The only one who can stop us is: us! There’s nothing wrong with comfortable pew cushions as long as they are matched by commitment to know the identity of Jesus, and to be Christians and a church who act in such a way that people think of Jesus when they see us.

PRAYER: Thank you, Lord, for making me your partner in kingdom work. It’s overwhelming for me, but not for the two of us. Open my heart of faith to believe your teachings, and then take me to relationships where I can live and share those teachings with others. Amen.