Please read the passage before the commentary.
Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi. The area was famous for its shrine and worship of the god Pan. Pan’s sanctuary was a large rock-faced cliff with niches for statues. Were we to have visited the area we might have made comments, reverently or irreverently, about the rock formations.
So, Jesus and his disciples visited the area and saw the impressive rock formation. Jesus said to Peter, “You are a rock and I will build my church upon you, and everyone in a niche in you will find salvation.
By calling Peter a rock around Caesarea Philippi in the presence of a pagan god’s shrine, Jesus defeats the pagan deity and established the church in its stead. Pan is also a Greek word that means all. This could also remind us that Jesus is for all and in all.
What has all this to do with Peter? The One who names has power over what is named. Jesus entered the realm of a pagan deity and refused to pronounce its name. Instead, he named Peter as the rock of his Church. In doing this Jesus made the city Herod built for Caesar Augustus into a city built for the true God.
More is at work here than naming Simon the son of John Peter. Jesus was asserting his primacy over all pagan deities and sovereignties. Are we with Christ in rejecting Pan and all emperors and sovereign states in favor of Jesus the Christ, the Son of Man?Every day in the Church Simon Peter says You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. This is the role of Pope Leo, the Vicar of Peter in the Church. We stand or fall on this confession of faith. Christ defeated the pagan god Pan in the area of Caesarea Philippi. We share this victory when we stand with the Pope. Every day we stand with Peter and say, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living Gods.” When we do this, we defeat all pagan gods and pagan dictators.