21st Sunday Ordinary Time
Fr. Peter Robinson
Preached: August 27. 2023
During Aug 1-6, Pope Francis addressed close to 1.5 million Catholic young people in Lisbon, Portugal … it was World Youth Day. When Francis celebrated at a massive, open-air Mass, an estimated 1.5 million people attended. Now, we might ask ourselves why an elderly man from Argentina (in his mid-80s) would be at the centre of so many young people. A biblical answer to that question is provided in today’s OT reading from the prophet Isaiah.
Our OT text contains a message from the Lord in the late 8th or early 7th century BC, through the prophet Isaiah. The message concerns the city of Jerusalem and its leaders. The news is bad news: the city’s leaders are trusting in their own military preparations; they are forgetting to turn to God.
So, Isaiah’s prophecy centres around two figures: 1) Shebna, the steward of the royal household (the king’s prime minister, if you will); and 2) Eliakim, who will succeed him as steward. That’s why this chapter in Isaiah uses the imagery of a key and a peg to convey important spiritual lessons.
The immediate problem is Shebna’s pride as steward, as prime minister (vv 15-19). He has carved out a grand tomb for himself, indicating his sense of entitlement and his disregard for God’s sovereignty. Because of his pride, God will depose him from his position of authority. Then we are introduced to Eliakim (vv 20-25), who will replace Shebna. He will be entrusted with the key to Jerusalem (symbolizing his authority and responsibility). It will be Eliakim’s decision whom to admit to the king’s palace, and whom to reject. And as prime minister, he will be like a peg firmly secured in place. This symbolizes his stability and the trustworthiness of his leadership.
As our Church interprets this text, she sees the “key” as a foreshadowing of Christ as the “Key of David” (cf. Revelation 3:7). The key points to Jesus’ authority, to his ability to open doors that no one can shut. And the imagery of the peg conveys the idea of Jesus’ stability and security as king.
So, when Jesus himself then entrusts to Peter the key to open and to close, he is appointing Peter as his steward (his prime minister) — after Jesus ascends to heaven. Whereas Jesus is now the deathless king (he has defeated death in one-to-one combat), Jesus’ first prime minister (Peter) died — to be replaced by the next prime minister. Notice that the king is eternal, but his prime ministers live and die (generation by generation). This means that Pope Francis is the 266th pope (the 266th prime minister of King Jesus).
Just like ancient Eliakim, we are promised that each pope (each prime minister) will serve like a secure peg – which reminds us that our popes provide an unshakeable foundation for our Church. For us, as individuals, we can find stability even in times of upheaval.
To wrap up, then, Isaiah 22 is a reminder to us to pray for our pope, our bishop, our pastor; that they will be leaders of sound judgment and of humility. It reminds us to pray that God will save them (and us) from the consequences of pride. The prophet Isaiah reminds us as Catholics to embrace humility, and to commit ourselves to be faithful followers.
God has provided a secure leadership structure in our Church … that we might find our stability and security in God’s unwavering presence.
Our OT text contains a message from the Lord in the late 8th or early 7th century BC, through the prophet Isaiah. The message concerns the city of Jerusalem and its leaders. The news is bad news: the city’s leaders are trusting in their own military preparations; they are forgetting to turn to God.
So, Isaiah’s prophecy centres around two figures: 1) Shebna, the steward of the royal household (the king’s prime minister, if you will); and 2) Eliakim, who will succeed him as steward. That’s why this chapter in Isaiah uses the imagery of a key and a peg to convey important spiritual lessons.
The immediate problem is Shebna’s pride as steward, as prime minister (vv 15-19). He has carved out a grand tomb for himself, indicating his sense of entitlement and his disregard for God’s sovereignty. Because of his pride, God will depose him from his position of authority.
Then we are introduced to Eliakim (vv 20-25), who will replace Shebna. He will be entrusted with the key to Jerusalem (symbolizing his authority and responsibility). It will be Eliakim’s decision whom to admit to the king’s palace, and whom to reject. And as prime minister, he will be like a peg firmly secured in place. This symbolizes his stability and the trustworthiness of his leadership.
As our Church interprets this text, she sees the “key” as a foreshadowing of Christ as the “Key of David” (cf. Revelation 3:7). The key points to Jesus’ authority, to his ability to open doors that no one can shut. And the imagery of the peg conveys the idea of Jesus’ stability and security as king.
So, when Jesus himself then entrusts to Peter the key to open and to close, he is appointing Peter as his steward (his prime minister) — after Jesus ascends to heaven. Whereas Jesus is now the deathless king (he has defeated death in one-to-one combat), Jesus’ first prime minister (Peter) died — to be replaced by the next prime minister. Notice that the king is eternal, but his prime ministers live and die (generation by generation). This means that Pope Francis is the 266th pope (the 266th prime minister of King Jesus).
Just like ancient Eliakim, we are promised that each pope (each prime minister) will serve like a secure peg – which reminds us that our popes provide an unshakeable foundation for our Church. For us, as individuals, we can find stability even in times of upheaval.
To wrap up, then, Isaiah 22 is a reminder to us to pray for our pope, our bishop, our pastor; that they will be leaders of sound judgment and of humility. It reminds us to pray that God will save them (and us) from the consequences of pride. The prophet Isaiah reminds us as Catholics to embrace humility, and to commit ourselves to be faithful followers.
God has provided a secure leadership structure in our Church … that we might find our stability and security in God’s unwavering presence.
