Keys to Heaven

I remember about a year ago or so I visited a Christian chat room with a friend. We soon realized that we were the only non-catholics in the room. When I thought of this I figured I could ask some questions I had wondered about for a long time. So, I asked if I could ask some questions and I was told that I could, so I began. I can't tell you exactly what my questions were because I don't really remember, but I do know that I did not intend to offend anyone or be confrontational. There was a girl in the room that was patiently trying to explain some points which I really appreciated, but then there was another guy that was becoming very defensive and seemed annoyed. To make matters worse I thought my friend was also becoming confrontational with them so soon enough it seemed like there were two teams against each other which was not my desire at all! Anyway, this guy finally said something like, "Don't you know that Jesus gave Peter the keys of heaven!!!" I'm ashamed to say that I had no idea what he was talking about. So I said "no", and he said "Don't you read your Bible?", and I said "Sure, sometimes... and that's why I would like to know where it says this." And then after a few more words he told me that he would go get the verse. He never came back and I thought "Well, I guess he couldn't find it." Eventually I left the chat room because it wasn't at all the uplifting kind of experience I was expecting from a Christian chat room. Well, today I came across a blog from a catholic man, and I started to read what he had posted. I got to one of his posts called "How Old Is Your Church?". I knew that he meant religions/denominations and not the body of Christ, but I was interested and read on. Well, eventhough I was raised on a catholic island I was a bit shocked by his last statement.

"If you are Catholic, you know that your religion was founded in the year 33 by Jesus Christ the Son of God, and it is still the same Church. Matt 16:18-20"

I was like "What?". So I looked up Matt 16:18-20, and guess what it was about. Yes, Peter getting the keys of heaven.

Matt 16:19 "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

So, ok, I read it and thought about it; I went through a study by Pastor Courson and remembered that I had actually already listened to a sermon on this a while ago. Now, I think the reason I forgot or didn't remember that I had already learned about this is because we are so materialistic. See, when this guy told me that Jesus had given Peter the keys to heaven I thought he was talking about real keys and this is why in my mind this was just crazy. But, you know, I bet a lot of people actually do believe that these were a real set of keys. I think the reason this guy is quoting this verse in his blog to explain when the catholic church was founded is because I think they believe that Peter's successor was the second pope, or the second bishop of Rome. I'm not going to get into that, but this sort of sinks my heart. I think that what shocked me when I was first told about this verse by this guy was the fact that I believe Jesus is the key to God's Kingdom. How are we saved? Through Jesus Christ. John 14:6. So what's the deal with the keys??? Well, I think I have just realized two things. One of them is that this explains all the Pearly gate cartoons with St. Peter checking people in or out of Heaven. (I get it!!!) Secondly, when was Peter given the keys? If we go a few verses back we read this.

13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"
14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And 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[d] in heaven."
20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

Peter received the keys to the Kingdom of heaven when he confessed that Jesus is Christ. And as I post these verses I'm understanding something else at this very moment. Jesus asked them who they thought he was, and Peter answered that he was the Christ. Then Jesus says, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church...." and so on. See, once Peter came to this realization another thing happened, Jesus first told him that the Father was who revealed this to him, and not his flesh or blood, and secondly, Jesus says 18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter..."
Wow, see this is what I'm getting. Jesus asks each of us who we think he is, not who people around us think he is, no... who do YOU think he is? Secondly, if we believe in our hearts that he is Christ the Savior, we know that this has been revealed to us by the Father. Thirdly, once we know who Jesus is and that this was revealed to us by God, then we will know who we are as well. WOW. By the way, this is really the reason I just can't agree with women being pastors...or pastorettes. See, maybe I'm wrong, and I do hope I don't offend anyone but isn't it a woman's thing to start talking about one thing and ending up with another? Ok... I think I wanted to say more about the keys, but now I just want to repeat these questions I think we can all ask ourselves.

1. Who do you think Jesus is?
2. Who is revealing it to you?
3. Who are you?

Ok... I think I will go to bed and let this all sink in. I'll have to also think more about these keys. Notice that it's a plural word, keys. I wonder why more than one. Is it because Peter is not the only one with access to Heaven, as in we all can have a key to Heaven, or, on a more material note is each key perhaps for a different place like the front gate, the front door, the back door, the mail-box...

Mind you, I do want to say something else. I don't have many but I do have a dear Catholic friend whom I admire for his walk with the Lord Jesus. He is a great example of humility, kindness and generosity. Let us all be of one accord in Christ Jesus our Lord.

"Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." - Philippians 2:2