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CYCLE A 21ST ORDINARY

1. Part of the message of the New Testament was to help the Jewish People and now us, to view Jesus as the PROMISED Royal Son of David. It was the Anointed one of God, or Messiah that all hopes were hanging on. He who would restore the KINGDOM of DAVID and help fulfill the promises in the covenant established with David.

The history of the kingdom of Israel got a fast start with Saul and David. And under Solomon it reached it’s pinnacle. Israel was living in the PROMISED LAND, ruled by the ANNOINTED KING and offering Sacrifice in the TEMPLE with the ARC of the COVENANT present. Israel was enjoying the worldly prestige promised them. THEY HAD IT ALL!

Yet it all went down hill almost as fast as it peaked. In not living the Covenant with God, the Land was divided north and south. And under King Hezikiah the North Kingdom went in exile in 722 by the Assyrians. And the Southern Kingdom went to Babylon in 597.

So now Israel LOST the Promised LAND. The last King, Josiah was sent to exile and His sons Killed. So Israel LOST its’ KING. Then the Babylonians destroyed the TEMPLE. So now the Israelites even LOST the PRESENCE of Yahweh. THEY NOW HAD NOTHING!

As they returned from Exile, the LAND and TEMPLE had been Restored in minor ways. Yet the House of David still would go without a KING. Even in the time of Jesus, there still was no kingdom, as the Romans were ruling. This is why Christmas is so important to us… The Canticles, the Angels, the Shepherds, the Magi, all point to that little baby Jesus as being the Heir to the THRONE of David. The SEAT, that had been vacant, the SON of David, SON of God, missing for hundreds of years was now to be found…. lying in a manger in the city of David.

The prophets in that Exile period, promised a King would one return, but he would not come to establish a EARTHLY KINGDOM. Yet the Messiah would rule over Israel, and lead them to the Heavenly Jerusalem by the promise to FORGIVE their sins. This KING and KINGDOM would have NO END.

2, As we listen to Scripture, it is helpful to think about 3rd century St. Augustine’s perception of the bible: He said, “The New Testament is Hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is Revealed in the New”. We have an example in our readings today. The Old Testament Isaiah reading PREFIGURED people (King & subordinate) and event (Keys) that was seen to be fulfilled in our new Testament Reading from Matthew.

These PREFIGURMENT stories are numerous in scripture. And help us understand Salvation History as it unfolds from the Old Testament, into the New and now with us.

3. To simplify it for today…Isaiah foretold that AUTHORITY over the Davidic Kingdom would be turned over to a new Royal Minister. And the placement of the KEYS on the shoulder of that person…is the Ceremonial SIGN of that AUTHORITY being given.

In the reading from Isaiah, Shebna was the secretary of state to King Hezekiah. He was the one who had authority with the King and around the palace. But he was found blameworthy while exorcizing his office.

In this clip from Isaiah, Shebna’s actions did not settle well with Yahweh. So Yahweh speaking through Isaiah, told Isaiah to pass the KEYS TO THE KINGDOM on to Eliakim. In this scripture, Eliakim is seen as one who is TRUSTWORTHY and LOYAL to God.

4. The Gospel inturn showed us where Christ Applied this Prophecy to the Apostle Peter and interpreted the “Keys to the Kingdom” to mean AUTHORITY, not in Israel, but in what he called “MY CHURCH”.

The Gospel has Peter confessing that Jesus is the ‘Son of Living God’.
This IS THE TITLE of the King in the House of David. With Peter’s symbolic name change to ROCK then and Peter being ENTRUSTED the KEY’S to the Kingdom of the Church, this Gospel is FOUNDATIONAL to the post-Easter Authority and leadership WE SEE DEVELOPING in the Church.

5. With the KEYS to the Kingdom being entrusted to Eliakim and Peter, it meant that the King who alone holds ‘Supreme Power’, transferred his Power to his subordinate. Responsibly, even with the Kings blessing, they were to govern the kingdom, in the Kings mindset.
-to Eliakim and Peter then, was handed the power to LEGISLATE.
-to Eliakim and Peter the power to make open or shut DECISIONS.
-and to the person who hold’s the KEY’S, it meant he must act WISELY, CARINGLY and BOLDLY, like a father acts over his family.

The KEY’S were a long understood SYMBOL of AUTHORITY in both Testaments and now in the Kingdom of the Church.

6. Jesus is the END of the Davidic line of Kings. We will have no KING but JESUS. But Jesus entrusted his Authority in the Kingdom to Peter, who by apostolic succession entrusted those same KEYS to Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John-Paul I, John Paul II and now to Benedict XVI.

These are the Servants of the King Jesus, who have shaped the church you know and are following. They were and are the:
-voices for peace in times of war. Were the teachers that Defined Dogma like the Assumption of Mary into Heaven.

-Called the Vatican Council and changed the church in many ways.

-Gave us the Catechism. Led the way in Ecumenism and Evangelization.

-These were the Subordinates to the King who have the Authority to teach the world on faith and moral matters like: Labor Conditions, the use of Nuclear Arms, Race, immigration, Marriage & Divorce, Birth Control, Abortion, Care for the poor, sick and dying, and many, many others.

As Catholics we must rejoice and believe that the Church, is the interim arraignment, which mediates salvation. She does this in the time between Jesus’ Earthly ministry and his future return as King of Glory.

Today, if you were asked “Who do you say that I am”, and you responded with “I believe that you are the Son of the Living God, The Promised one, The King.” Then we too must believe that Bishop Nickless in union with Pope Benedict was entrusted the KEYS to the Kingdom. Encouraging is the promise that the JAWS OF DEATH WILL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT.

So Who do you say that Jesus is?