26/05/2026

We do not have a lot of words or sayings that have been attributed to St Peter and yet he is a focal point of  Christianity. 

He is the one who confirmed the break with Temple religion and Law on the basis that he had witnessed the Holy Spirit blessing Gentile converts. He baptised the uncircumcised Cornelius and also denied the necessity for dietary laws, but in his preaching today he is aware that the Hebrew Prophets were guided by the Holy Spirit to prepare the way for us to become able to accept the Incarnation as the completed manifestation of way to holiness in this world.

In the Gospel reading Peter is reacting to the  "rich young man" whose wealth held him back from  following the Lord. He is appealing for an indication from Jesus what is going to be the outcome for the Apostles having abandoned everything to literally walk with him around the villages of Galilee and Judea.

Jesus' reply seems to say that the earthly ("in this time") rewards of perfect discipleship will be huge.

At that time: Peter began to say to Jesus, ‘See, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers or sisters, or mother or father, or children, or lands for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brothers and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.’

We really do have to interpret anything that we read in scripture in the light of the whole. Jesus has made it clear "that his kingdom is not of this world". To become the owner of the whole world is a profitless exercise if our soul is lost. He has thus told us not to become overcome by the things of this world and even here the last one of the benefits that we are to receive one hundredfold "in this time" is "persecution".

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’