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Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul

Gospel Matthew 16:13-19  (New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, Canada) 

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah,the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

I rarely remember even the simplest joke but I have never forgotten this intellectual, theological joke told 30 years ago by a Jesuit priest in front of a university New Testament class.

Jesus was walking alongside of the Sea of Galilee

when he turned to Simon Peter and asked him

“Who do you say that I am?”

Simon Peter answered Him,

“Why you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

 Jesus was pleased with his answer.

So, Jesus turns to the modern day theologian and asks,

“Who do you say that I am?”

The modern day theologian answers,

“Why you are the eschatological manifestation in the ground of our being.

The kerygma, which finds its fulfillment in interpersonal relationships.”

And Jesus says,

“What?”

kerygma is the basic Christian message, eschatological  a branch of theology dealing with the final, end times