Given By Neal Washburn February 17, 2019
The reading today offers us several topics to discuss. Peter is told he is the keeper of the keys to heaven. If you take the Bible literally, then the passage gives us several points. These are Jesus is the messiah, heaven is real and has a gate that needs keys, and Peter is the rock that the church is based on, and is the keeper of the keys. In the Afterlife, Peter decides who gets in and who does not. This line of thought leads us on a dangerous path. It sets up Christian judgement and inclusivity. Who gets in and who does not. That one needs to be saved to go to heaven is contrary to the scripture and the gospel’s witness. The scripture talks about the coming of God’s kingdom on Earth. It is about justice and peace on Earth. It was about the transformation of us and this world. God is with us now. Thinking progressively, the keys to heaven are love God and love our neighbor.
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