Matthew 16:18
...and I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against you.
Who was Peter that Christ should make such promise to him? A couple chapters earlier, he was the man who gave into fear of the storm and began to sink, after Christ had empowered him to walk on water.
Matthew 14:29 Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
A few chapters after this one, Peter is the man who, once again acting out of fear, denies Jesus during his trial.
Matthew 26: 69 Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.
70 But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
71 Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72 He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”
73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”
74 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”
But here, it is Peter whose first has the eyes that see and the ears that hear - a phrase Jesus often uses in reference to his teachings. Peter is able to see who Jesus really, is, and names him.
Matthew 16: 13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
This is exactly what Jesus was after, for a few verses before Peter's proclamation, Jesus rebukes the pharisees for not being able to see the truth at hand:
Matthew 16 :3 Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times...
And just after that, He speaks metaphorically to his disciples, but the teaching goes right over their heads. He rebukes them for not having ears that hear the underlying truth in his message:
Matthew 16:11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
When Peter was sinking, his blind eyes were enlightened when Jesus calmed the storm; he then saw Jesus with spiritual eyes:
Matthew 14: 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
When Peter denied Christ, his ears were opened when the crow of the cock triggered his memory of Jesus' prophesy spoken to him earlier; he then heard God's Truth with spiritual ears:
Matthew 26: 74 Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
But Jesus warns us not to be like the Pharisees who need signs and wonders to awaken our supernatural senses.
Matthew 16:1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven....4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
We need to have Faith. Faith dispels the fear that causes us to sink into the waves of this world, to deny for fear or persecution the truth of the cross. Because Faith is Trust, is Knowing, is Wisdom.
The Church - the body of Christ - is founded on this wise-knowing-trust; faith in exactly who Jesus is and what the Word of God says, and then proclaiming it. Jesus mentions building a solid foundation on this Rock of Wisdom here as well:
Matthew 7: 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Notice again in that passage how Jesus says "those who hear..." Christ tells Peter "the gates of hell shall not prevail against you."
The body of Christ has many parts. Particularly, the parts of the body that the Gospel of Matthew seems to be highlighting through Jesus - with Peter (Greek "Petra"meaning Rock - notice how even Peter's name is a metaphor to be discerned!) - are the Ears that Hear and the Eyes that See.
To learn more about the 40 Day Prayer Commitment, click here!