This coming Sunday is the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time. Andrew brought his brother to Jesus, an act of which is perhaps as great a service to the Church as ever any one did. Jesus gave the newcomer a searching look and proceeded to rename him. This must be understood in the light of the significance attached to the “name” in antiquity. It stood for the whole person. It summed up the entire personality. The giving of a new name is an assertion of the authority of the giver (e.g., 2 Kings 23:34; 24:17). When done by God it speaks in an addition of a new character in which the person henceforth appears (e.g., Gen. 32:28). There is something of both ideas here. Simon is from this time Jesus’ man. But he is also a different man, and the new name points to his character as “the rock”. Peter appears in all the Gospels as anything but a rock. He is impulsive, volatile, unreliable. But that was not God’s last word for Peter. Jesus’ renaming of the man points to the change that would be wrought in him by the power of God.

A Final Thought

In the first chapter of the Gospel of John the names and references to Jesus was quite replete, almost forming a litany:

• Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (v.29)
• Son of God (v.34)
• Lamb of God (v.36)
• Rabbi / Teacher (v.38)
• Messiah (v.41)
• Him about who Moses and the Prophets wrote (v.45)
• Son of Joseph from Nazareth (v.45)
• Rabbi (v.49)
• Son of God (v.49)
• King of Israel (v.49)
• Son of Man (v.51)

Why are there so many names? Gail O’Day answers, “Each disciple sees something different in Jesus and bears witness to it in his own way. Each disciple came to Jesus with differing expectations and needs – one needed a teacher, another a Messiah, another a fulfillment of Scripture – and each of those needs was met.”

O’Day goes on to explain that one needs to look to John 1:51 – “And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

This suggests that none of the previous titles ultimately answers the question, “who is Jesus?” “The testimonies of the disciples are only the beginning; they will see ‘greater things.’ The imagery of v.51 suggests that the reality of God in Jesus outruns traditional categories and names…the rich variety of testimonies…is both cautionary and celebratory. It cautions the reader not to limit Jesus to preconceived categories and expectations, but to keep one’s eyes open for a surprising revelation of God.”

Image credit: Saint John the Baptist Preaching to the Masses in the Wilderness | Artist: Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564–1638) | Galerie de Jonckheere, Paris | PD-US