The teachings of Philip G. Roets & Lois Roets
Good News: You Can Be Part of the Kingdom. David Is Here!
Commentary by Philip G. Roets STL, SSL
Jesus knew what they were thinking so he turned their thoughts back on them again. "A house or kingdom divided against itself cannot remain. It will destroy itself. If I am casting out devils by the power of the prince of devils, then it is a house divided against itself and it will not stand. Moreover, your own sons cure people. How do they perform their cures? Are they, too, doing it by the power of Beelzebul? However, if I, by the Spirit of God, cast out devils, then the Kingdom of God has come among you." Then to make sure that these leaders had to face up to themselves he said, "If you speak against the Holy Spirit you will not be forgiven in this life or the next. By your words you will be acquitted. By your words you will be condemned."
THE "SPIRIT" OR "HOLY SPIRIT". For centuries we have been confused on the notion of God. We admit he is a limitless being that cannot be contained in a definition. Yet the theologians continue trying to wrap a definition around him. The terms "Spirit" and "Holy Spirit" are used frequently in the New Testament.
The Latin word "Spirit" and the Greek word "Pneuma" refer to "breath." The ancient people considered "Breath" in some way the identity of a person. In the creation account in Genesis, chapter 2, God is presented as "breathing the breath of life into the nostrils of man" and man becomes a "living being." This was the first appearance of "the breath of God" and man was allowed to share in it.
Jesus was going to restore this "creative breath" which had been tainted or lost by the sin of mankind. The "Breath" was even greater than the breath in the creation story. This breath given by Jesus was the "Breath of Holiness" — the breath that made it possible for people to share in the holiness of God and live their lives accordingly.
"If a person says a word against the Son of Man, he will be forgiven. But if anyone speaks a word against the Holy Spirit he will not be forgiven in this world or the next." Jesus said the same thing with a different figure of speech. He talked about the "good" and "bad" tree. Botanists, today, would not agree with these ideas but Jesus was not teaching 21st century botany.
Jesus said you can judge a tree by its fruit. You would get good fruit from a good tree and bad fruit from a bad tree. Botanically speaking, this is not acceptable but was accepted in the time of Jesus. Be that as it may, the application is true. A human being can be judged by his/her actions. Good people will not be guilty of evil lives and bad people will not be capable of virtuous lives. By your works you will be known. By your lives you will be accepted or rejected.
Application to today: In general, all this is true. We say that good or evil will come out into the open sooner or later. This does not preclude fakers and hypocrites who can fool those around them. Sometimes this hypocrisy can go on for a lifetime and is exposed only after the death of the person. But these cases are the exception.
Ninevites Listened to Jonah; Queen of Sheba Seeks Solomon
The scribes and Pharisees tried a new approach. They asked for a "sign" to prove that his mission was from God and that he truly was the Messiah. Jesus was not fooled. By the fact that they did not accept what he had done and said so far, they showed that they would never accept him.
Jesus referred to a couple of situations in the Old Testament times that paralleled their conduct. First, there was the story of Jonah. He was a prophet or preacher in the 4th century B.C. The people of Niniveh were openly flaunting their immoral lives to the world and Jonah preached against them. Finally, he was swallowed by a whale and stayed in the whale for three days and three nights, and then was put back on land by the whale and continued his work.
How you interpret the story of Jonah is of no importance in this comparison. You can take the event as if it happened exactly as presented. Or you can take it as a story or parable. The conclusion is the same. Jesus referred to it as a figure of what would happen to him in a short while. He (SON OF MAN) would be put to death, be buried and on the third day he would be raised from the dead.
The people of Niniveh repented at the preaching of Jonah but the leaders of Israel would not even accept the preaching of Jesus. Yet he was greater than Jonah.
The next comparison was to the foreign queen who came to visit Solomon in the 10th century B.C. She had heard of his wisdom and the splendor of his kingdom and she wanted to see and hear for herself. She listened and was amazed at his wisdom. Jesus was greater than Solomon but the people of Israel would not listen to him.
WORSE THAN THEIR ANCESTORS. Matthew 12:43–45. Jesus now gave a severe prediction. He said a wicked person could be cured if he repented and turn from his evil. However, if he fell back into his evil ways he would probably be far worse than before. He said this was what had happened to the people of his time. They not only have fallen back into the stubborn immoral ways of their ancestors, but they have gone far beyond them. Jesus held out no hope for them if they do not truly repent.
Now Jesus' mother and his relatives come to speak with him. There is not much doubt about the purpose of the visit. Jesus was opposing all the leaders of the Jews at that time. He insulted them and called them the worst kind of sinners. He said there was no hope of salvation.
It doesn't take an astute mind to see that he was in big trouble. His family was afraid they would also be condemned because they could not contain one of their members.
Jesus' response was what we would expect. He was responsible for ties that go far beyond the physical bonds with his family. He was responsible for all the people in the world and therefore, if his family didn't like what he was doing, they would simply have to cut him off.
I think these last couple of verses are the heart of this whole picture. Jesus did not in any way appear to be the Messiah as they had imagined him. He was an ordinary man, from a small town in Galilee, from a little known family. He had no great education. He was not even a member of the educated class of the Jews. So where did he get this idea that he could tell everyone what he or she was to do?
The story proceeds until Jesus stands completely alone, accepted by no one, defended by no one, feared because association with him could mean getting into trouble with the leaders. Even the people who had shared in his miraculous powers by cures, all the people who had been fed by him, not one will stand up to be counted with him.
"The Kingdom Is Like..." — Seven Parables
Matthew, chapter thirteen, is a series of 7 parables or comparisons that describe the Kingship (Greek word "Basileia") of the Heavens. It is one of the most important chapters in Matthew because it gives us the varied aspects of the Kingship and especially stresses that the Kingship is not a static structure, but something alive and growing.
"BASILEIA" — Greek Word for "Kingship." The word used for Kingship in Greek is "Basileia." It is a noun that ends in "ia." This means that it is an "action" noun and should be translated as such in English. The closest equivalent in English is "ing" attached to a word. Examples: sailing, teaching, crawling, choosing, crying. Each of these words connotes something that is going on right now because of the syllable "ing" which is attached. In Greek, the "ia" at the end of a noun does the same thing.
The word, "Basileia," makes far more sense if we translate it as the "Kinging of the Heavens." The English equivalent in meaning is the use of the word "king" in the game of checkers. A player works all the way to the opponent's end of the board. Triumphantly he shouts, "King me!" This means that he can now move this "Kinged" checker in any direction. The player who is first "Kinged" is often the winner.
This stresses that the act of becoming or establishing a king is going on right now. With this basic idea in mind we now go through the parables that tell us what this Kingship is and what Kingship does.
The account in Matthew tells us that Jesus went to the lakeshore and the crowds followed him. They pressed against him so much that he got into a boat and went out a few feet and dropped anchor. Now he could see the crowd and talk to them without fear of being pushed into the water.
This parable or comparison, like all the others, presupposes that you know the customs of time and place. When a farmer sows grain today, you expect him to use machinery and the bigger the acreage the bigger the machines. In the time of Jesus in Palestine, the farmer would take a bag or basket of grain and go out to the field. He did not prepare the ground ahead of time. He simply walked back and forth across the field and "broadcast" or scattered the seed by hand.
As he cast the seed, some fell on the path where the farmer was walking. The birds immediately swooped down and ate the grain. Some fell on the rocks that were strewn throughout the field. There would be a bit of soil and a little moisture. The seed would sprout immediately but the roots would run into the stone, dry up and die. Some of the seed fell in among the weeds and thorns that abounded in the area. The weeds took the nourishment and moisture from the soil and choked the life out of the grain even as it sprouted. Finally, some of the seed fell on good soil and brought forth a harvest. But even this harvest varied, depending on the quality of the soil: some 30-fold, some 60-fold, and some a 100-fold.
Then Jesus added, if you can hear my words, then listen carefully to what they mean. The disciples were a bit amazed that Jesus spoke in these seemingly abstruse parables. They expected him to make his teachings crystal clear.
READ ISAIAH. Jesus answered: "You have the opportunity to understand what I am talking about but the others will not get this chance." Then there is a reference to the beginning of the prophetic career of Isaiah in the 8th century B.C. The basic reason is that people have to be properly disposed before they can understand. If they stand there with the "show me" attitude of a stubborn child, they will get nothing. If they truly want to learn, they will understand and accept what Jesus says.
TEACHING NOT ESOTERIC; IT DEMANDS OPEN MINDS. For further clarification of this notion of proper dispositions, look up Daniel 2:28, 11:35, and 12:3. Also, read 1 Cor 4:1 and Job 8:16-18. All these passages deal with the necessity of proper dispositions for understanding the teaching of Jesus or the mysteries of God. This does not mean that the teachings of Jesus are some esoteric or hidden doctrine that can be grasped only by a few elite. Rather, the teaching is intended for everyone but it will not be understood or accepted unless the person has the right dispositions.
Jesus truly wanted all people to listen, understand, change their ways, and find happiness. However, he demanded cooperation from every person in the form of dispositions. If these were missing, Jesus was not going to force his ideas on any person or any society. These people would simply lose out in the fulfillment of themselves.
SEED IS THE WORD OF GOD. Once these preliminaries were understood, Jesus explained the parable. The explanation is very simple. The seed that is sown is the "Word of God" or the plan that God had for mankind from the beginning of time. The power of this "Word" is carefully described in Isaiah 55:10-11. "As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for food, so the word that goes forth from my mouth does not return to me empty. It carries out my will and succeeds in what it was sent to do."
SEED IS ALWAYS GOOD. SON OF MAN IS THE SOWER; SOIL MAY BE AT FAULT. If the seed does not produce in any situation, it is no fault of the seed. The fault is in the soil where it has been sown. In keeping with this comparison, Jesus said there are three things that can cause failure to produce: "no shoot, no root, no fruit." In the soil where the seed does produce, the dispositions can vary and the rate of production will vary accordingly.
"NO SHOOT!" — "No shoot" refers to the seed that falls on the footpath. The person hears what is said but makes no effort to understand. Then the "evil one" snatches the seed out of the heart as the birds clear the seed from the footpath. The "evil one" is the biblical "devil" — "adversary" — but it can be anyone who becomes an obstacle to understanding the plan of God.
"NO ROOT!" — "No Root" refers to the seed that falls on the rock. Such a person listens to what is said and grasps the meaning but the ideas do not take root in his/her life. The seed sprouts because there is a little soil and a bit of moisture. When these are gone, the newly sprouted seed shrivels and dies. Such conduct refers to people who see the wisdom of the ideas and realize how they will influence their lives. Then the understanding stops. There is no follow-up. These are the people who love to listen to powerful speakers or read well-written books. They can talk freely about what they have heard or read. But that's where the action stops. There is no follow-through.
"NO FRUIT!" — "No Fruit" describes the seed that falls among the weeds and thorns. These people hear the Word and are moved by what they hear. They decide that they should follow through with their ideas and convictions. Then the cares and worries of this world, the lure of money and making a living, become more important and more absorbing in their lives. The wise ideas or plans are choked off. There is no follow-up. Results are wanting.
It is important to note in all three instances, there is no product from the seed. The Word or Plan of God is wasted on these people. It is equally important for a person to make sure that he is not in one of these groups.
PRODUCTIVE RECEIVER. The comparison goes on. If you are a productive receiver, how much do you produce? In farming, the amount of the yield depends on the richness of the soil no matter what the weather conditions are. So you may produce 30-fold, 60-fold, or a 100-fold or anything in between. The most important point in this whole comparison is that no one can be a passive receiver. The Word or Plan of Jesus depends on the active response of every person who accepts it.
"The sower of this Good Seed is the SON OF MAN" (v.38). The SON OF MAN will send his angels and they will gather from his kingdom all things that cause trouble or do evil. They will throw these into a blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Who Sowed These Weeds? Who Is the Enemy?
This is the second comparison. In this story, the farmer goes out and sows the grain in his field. He had good certified seed. While he was asleep, an enemy came in and sowed weeds. The Greek word used is "zizania." It is not just any weed but a weed that looks like wheat when it first comes up. Only when it heads out do you see it is a weed.
After the grain and the weeds came up, the servants said to the master, "Sir, didn't you sow certified seed in your field? Where do the weeds come from?" The farmer knew what has happened. "An enemy has done this." Somebody did not like him and saw this as a way to do him harm.
"LET SEED AND WEED GROW TOGETHER!" The servants were totally loyal and were ready to go out and pull all the weeds. The farmer denied permission. He said that the grain plants were fragile and if you pull the weeds, you'd loosen the soil around the grain. Hot, dry air would get at the roots of the grain and all would die. Rather, they were to let the two grow together until the harvest. At harvest time, the farmer would tell the reapers to go first and gather up the weeds and bind them in bundles. These bundles would be burned. Afterward, they would gather the good grain into the barns.
According to our modern methods of farming, this would be considered quite unskilled. We have pesticides and herbicides of every kind to get at those pesky weeds. But again, the story is told from the viewpoint of the customs of those times in Palestine.
"WHERE DO YOU STAND?" The application was the all-important point. The grain represents good people. The weeds represent evil in any shape or form. The point of the parable is that the followers of Christ are not going to live in isolation or in protected hothouses. They are to live their lives in the midst of the world with all its evil. Only at the end will a separation be made.
The weeds are useless and will be destroyed. The grain will be gathered into the barns of Christ. The people who listen will arrive at the goals that they have set and which have been set for them.
THE MUSTARD SEED: BIG EVENTS START SMALL. Matthew 13:31–32. The story of the mustard seed passage is very short but it carries a powerful idea and lesson. If this Word of God is so important and effective, it must be something that is difficult to grasp and hard to manage. Jesus denied this impression. In fact, the seed is really a "mustard seed." This is the smallest of all seeds known at that time. But if it gets a start in a field it can easily take over the land.
Naturally, a farmer does not want mustard to get a start in his fields. That is not the point of the story. These parables are dealing with various aspects of the Kingdom of the Heavens and each must be interpreted by itself. Then all the ideas can be put together in the end.
This mustard seed comparison stresses that the Kingdom of the Heavens is not a doctrine that is overpowering, difficult to grasp, or over and beyond daily living. Rather, this teaching is a part of daily life and must be understood and woven into each action of each day. No matter how small the seed is when it is planted, it can grow into a large, mature plant with abundant fruit.
YEAST OR LEAVEN POWER THAT PERMEATES. Matthew 13:33. Now the comparisons turn to a different area. In the baking of bread, a piece of the leavened dough was set aside. If it were kept cool, the leavening process would be stopped. The next time the person wanted to bake bread, he/she would mix the new dough and then mix in and knead the leavened dough from the previous batch. As soon as it warmed up, the leaven would begin to spread through the whole new batch until all was leavened. Today, people will usually buy prepared yeast. It works on the same principle.
The important point of this comparison is the way in which the Kingdom of the Heavens works. It is something that gets inside a person and permeates his/her whole being and changes the person into someone new. This process is given the Hebrew word, AMEN. It is frequently translated into Greek, Latin and then English as the word "Faith" or "I believe."
In English, if you say that you believe somebody or have faith in the person, it means you accept what is said or trust him or her. Biblical faith is a far more thorough process. This is the reason the word, Amen, is used so often in the liturgical rituals. Its meaning goes far beyond the real realization that something has ended. "AMEN" or BIBLICAL FAITH means: I UNDERSTAND what is said. I am CONVINCED of what I hear. I am COMMITTED to the ideas, ideals, and truths. I CARRY OUT these ideas and ideals in my daily life.
To be able to say that you "believe" in the Biblical sense means that your faith has all four of these steps: 1) you understand, 2) are convinced, 3) are committed, and 4) will live by what you have heard and accepted. If anyone of these four steps or actions is missing, you cannot say that you believe. Hence the comparison with leaven or yeast is quite appropriate. Through Faith, the Word of God becomes a part of your being, permeates your whole life and governs your every action. Any action that does not proceed from faith and complement faith is a wasted or empty action.
THE TREASURE AND THE PEARL. Matthew 13:44–46. The parable of the leaven stresses that the Word of God has to permeate the believer's whole life. But there could still be a question as to exactly how far this acceptance should go. To offset all doubts, Jesus made two more comparisons.
The Word of God is like a big treasure that someone hid. The believer uncovers this treasure as she goes about daily life. She is filled with joy and goes, sells all her possessions, and buys the field in which the treasure is found so that the treasure becomes her property.
The other comparison says exactly the same thing. This time the person is shell fishing. Oyster after oyster is opened. Then suddenly an oyster with a pearl is found. The worker goes immediately and sells everything he owns and buys the oyster and the treasured pearl.
TOTAL LOYALTY AND OBEDIENCE. Two different comparisons are used to denote exactly the same truth: If you want the Word of God or the Kingdom of God to take control in your life, you have to give total and unquestioning loyalty and obedience to that Word. You have to be willing to sacrifice everything to live by that Word in all actions.
THE DRAGNET: SORT THE CATCH. Matthew 13:47–60. This time there is a large crew of fishermen. They go to sea and set the dragnet. One end is anchored securely and the other end is pulled in a wide semicircle. Everything that is in front of the net is imprisoned in it. When the net has been fully extended, the people on the one end pull slowly and firmly toward the other end and thus close the gap in the net. When the net has been closed on itself, it is pulled up on land and the catch is dumped out. The fisherman goes to work. They pick up all the tiny fish or unwanted fish, and toss them back into the sea. The good fish are the catch of the hour. Each one gets his/her share. So, says Jesus, are the workings of the Kingdom of Heaven at the end of time. The angels will appear and separate the wicked from the just people. The wicked will be cast into a furnace filled with fire and the people will weep and gnash their teeth.
Greek word "SYNTELEIA" — "COMPLETION." We are talking about the "synteleia" of the world. This does not mean "end" in the sense that it is over and done with. It means "end" in the sense of COMPLETION or FULFILLMENT. When people have developed this universe into the world that it is supposed to become, and have brought to fullness all its potentialities, then the second phase of the world or creation will begin.
This last parable or comparison is to stress that people do not automatically participate in this fullness of creation. Only the people who have cooperated in the plan will be included. The rest will be thrown out. The pit of fire is a repeat reference to the Valley of Hinnom in Jerusalem. It was translated as "gehenna" in Greek and came into English as "hell." It was the valley where the remains of sacrificial animals were tossed and burned. They were excluded from the sacrifices and worship in the Temple because they were unclean. So in this division at the fullness of time, only the people who have identified themselves as men and women of God will enter into the Kingdom. The unidentified will be cast into oblivion.
Jesus concluded with the question: "Did you understand all of this?" The disciples said "Yes." Then Jesus said that he had brought together both the new and the old, and that the picture was now complete.
These remarks are a sort of conclusion to the previous section on the Kingship. The Kingship is something so mammoth that we can never fully understand it. The first and most basic notion is that the kingship is not static, covering a certain area of space and time, and then coming to an end. The very word in Greek signifies a process that is going on at all times. The speed at which it moves forward depends on the people alive at that time. How well do they cooperate?
CHECKER GAME: "KING ME." The seven parables of chapter 13 tell us the most basic aspects of this process of "Kinging." Kinging grants all sorts of new powers. That is close to the meaning of the Greek word "Basileia" which is translated as "kingdom." It is an action word. People who accept the ideas and ideals of Jesus are supposed to "King" everything and everyone in their lives. Chapter 13 brings out the basic aspects of this work.
PRODUCTIVITY. In the world about us, there is some soil that is productive and some that is non-arable and non-productive. People are the same. Some produce nothing because they will accept no responsibility or they will not persevere if the work lasts long or is difficult.
DISPOSITIONS VARY. Some land produces more, some less, even though the weather conditions are exactly the same. Again, people are the same. Some produce more than others because they work harder at the process or stick to the work — no matter what difficulties they face.
THREE BASIC FAILURES: NO SHOOT, NO ROOT, NO FRUIT. This means that some people fail to get started. Others make a start but fold and call it quits at the first sign of difficulty. Finally, others stay with the work for a while, but they never mature or produce fruit.
SEED AMONG THE WEEDS. The weeds are going to cause problems for the grain. The members of the kingdom will live in the midst of an adverse population. They have to develop their identity and do the work of the Kingdom in spite of the opposition. At harvest time, the separation will be made.
STARTS SMALL. This very small seed is a MUSTARD SEED. The life of a member of this kingship is not going to be some kind of sensational headliner. For most people it will be the routine life of daily chores, problems, successes and failures. The greatness of the Kingship is to be established in and through the small actions of daily life.
LEAVEN: WORKS FROM INSIDE OUT. Leaven works from one generation to the next; it cannot start itself. The parable stresses the power and importance of example, motivation, and tradition in the establishment of the Kingship. The Kingship cannot be tacked on the outside of people and events. It has to grow from within. It is handed on from parents to children, from generation to generation.
TREASURE: SELL AND BUY. You have to be willing to sell everything you own in order to purchase the land and get the treasure. The land in this case is a person's daily life. There are thousands of repeated actions and days. There is always the danger of losing sight of the value and importance of small daily actions because the whole picture is ignored or forgotten.
PEARL: LOOK CAREFULLY AND BUY. How many thousands of oysters does the fisherman have to open before he finds a pearl? When he finds one, he has to sell all his possessions in order to purchase the pearl. The basic lesson is this: It is hard to see the actions of daily life as a pearl. Yet pearls they are, and they must be bought with full use of our energy and resources.
DRAGNET: EVERYTHING GATHERED. Many of the netted fish are not worth keeping so the fishermen separate them. The small and useless are tossed back into the water or left on the sand. The good fish are kept. At the end of time, or in the final phase of this kingship, all people who have ever lived will be brought together. The separation will be made. Those who identified themselves as members of the Kingship will enter into the fullness of the joy and happiness of the kingship. Those who failed or refused to identify themselves will be tossed out on the scrap heap to moan and groan at their loss.
The Church; First-Fruits of the Kingship; Opposition
The narrative for this section runs from chapter 13:53 to 17:27. The incidents recounted show some of the opposition that Jesus met in his own lifetime and are a harbinger of the opposition that his message will meet in its journey through time.
This first episode shows the antagonism of the hometown people against Jesus and his teaching. They hear what he has to say. They are amazed at the wisdom of his teaching. But there is a stumbling block. They know his background and origins. He is one of them. He comes from their little town. He had no education beyond what was received in the little village. They knew his family and there were no outstanding people in his background. So they refused to accept him. They were not proud of their gifted member. They were afraid.
HOMETOWN BLINDED. PEOPLE HELPED — ONLY IF THEY RESPOND. Jesus' reaction was straightforward. He says a prophet is despised only in his own country and by his own household. So Jesus does not perform any of his signs in his hometown because of their lack of faith. The important lesson for the Church is that there will be opposition from some people. If the opposition comes from ignorance and a deliberate refusal to listen, then as Jesus did, the Church should not waste its time. People cannot be helped in spite of themselves but only with their cooperation.
Herod Is Puppet of Rome
The next example of opposition is from Herod, the Jew who is ruling under the aegis of Rome. The fact that he's in power with the approval of Rome shows how shaky his position is. One slight move against the whims of Rome and Herod would go to the dungeon and execution.
JOHN THE BAPTIST ACCUSES OPENLY; HEROD'S DILEMMA. John Baptist had spoken openly against Herod because of his adulterous union with his sister-in-law. To shut him up, Herod had John arrested and thrown into prison. He wanted to put him to death but he was afraid of the people with whom John was very popular. Then comes the dilemma.
Herod was celebrating his birthday. The party was filled with all the important people of society, both Jews and Romans. Salome was the daughter of Herodias, Herod's concubine. Salome danced for the crowd. She was a sensation and Herod, under the sway of his drinks, his party, and the company, called her over and told her to ask for anything. He swore on oath to give it to her.
TRAGIC REQUEST. INNOCENT MAN DIES. Salome went right to her mother and Herodias saw a solution to her problem. As long as John the Baptist was alive, she would not be safe. So she tells Salome to ask for the head of John on a platter. Herod was flabbergasted. If he refused, he would be mocked because he did not carry through his loud-mouthed, brash promises. If he acceded to the request, there might be an uprising. He decided to grant the request and he sent word to the prison. The head of John the Baptist was removed and brought to the banquet on a platter. The servants presented it to Salome who took it to her mother, who was certainly satisfied. John's disciples got the body and buried it.
The notion of unjust opposition is clear. John the Baptist certainly was preaching the word of God. He was certainly carrying on the tradition of the prophets. However, the civil powers did not like the message and John died.
"What Is This Among So Many?"
Jesus heard about the death of John the Baptist. He decided it would be best for him to slip out of the limelight for the moment. So he and his disciples went off to a place by themselves. It was out of town and probably on the desert side of the Lake.
The crowd learned what he had done so they followed him on land. When they met up with Jesus again, he was moved by their faith and acceptance and he began to heal their sick. Evening came and Jesus did not feel he could send them back to their villages as the disciples suggested. He told them to feed the crowd. Matthew says there were 5000 men plus all the women and children. No matter how you look at it, such a crowd would take a lot of food.
The disciples had a lunch of 5 loaves and 2 fish. Jesus was not the least bit shaken. He had the people be seated on the grass. He blessed the food, broke the loaves and gave the pieces to the disciples to hand out to the crowd. They fed that whole crowd and when they were done, they gathered 12 baskets from the leftovers.
There is no doubt this is a reference back to Moses. He had a huge crowd in the desert and he fed them regularly. In the stories about Moses, we learn that the manna and quail were natural phenomena. Moses knew about them because of his years in the desert. He used this knowledge to take care of the people. The same could be true of this incident with Jesus except we do not know of any natural phenomena that were present. Also, if Jesus and his followers had a bit of food, so perhaps, did others. And the "miracle" was that all shared with others.
"Why Did You Doubt?"
Jesus puts the disciples in the boat and tells them to head for the other side. Jesus remains behind, dismisses the crowd, and goes into the hills alone to pray. During the 4th watch, 3:00 to 6:00 a.m., Jesus starts to walk toward the disciples who were out in the middle of the lake. A fierce storm had blown up — as was quite common on the Lake of Galilee. Jesus walks over the water toward them. The disciples see him coming and they are filled with terror. They think it is a ghost.
Jesus calls out very calmly. "Take heart! Stop the panic! It is I!" Peter, in his usual brash approach, tells Jesus to tell him to come out on the water to him. Jesus says simply, "Come!" Peter jumps out of the boat and starts on his way. Suddenly he realizes what he has done and he is petrified with fear. He starts to sink. He cries out in his terror and Jesus reaches out and takes his hand. "Why did you doubt?" Jesus puts Peter in the boat, gets in himself, the wind drops, and the boat is at land. The disciples are amazed. "Truly, you are the Son of God!"
When they landed, the local people recognized Jesus and brought their sick and suffering to him. He healed them all merely by letting them touch the edge of his garment.
Additional information on miracles: This is a good point to discuss the notion of the miracles a bit more. The usual explanation is to say simply that Jesus is both God and man. He uses the divine power to do things that are completely beyond human power. This is a simple explanation but it does not account for the power of healing that was used by the apostles and their successors in the early days.
It is not enough to say that the faith and trust that the people had in Jesus was so deep and so strong that the cures were effected. At the same time, the words used in the New Testament for these extraordinary deeds do not stress how they go beyond natural power. The word "mystery" stresses they are hard to understand. The Joannine tradition talks only about "semeion," Greek word for "sign." John and his followers are interested only in what the action teaches or portends.
My problem with this explanation is: If Jesus, so often in so many places in such a short time, had been working miracles in our sense of the word, how did that crowd turn so completely and viciously against him? The fact is, the crowd was totally agog with Jesus in his triumphal parade into Jerusalem. Yet the next day, they were shouting for his death and in a frenzy to get him on the cross.
I think the only answer that makes sense is that Jesus is totally and only human. He shares in the healing powers of God as did other prophets and holy men before him. However, the hatred of the Jewish leaders and the power of the Roman threat, were enough to make a fickle crowd turn violently against him. Jesus himself recognized this danger on various occasions. He was afraid of his sufferings and death and seriously would like to have avoided them. However, he deemed them necessary for the success of his mission and ideals.
This incident is concerned with opposition to Jesus. It comes from the Scribes and Pharisees — again. The Scribes are the men with formal education who can read and write. They are the interpreters of the Word of God and, for the most part, have aligned themselves with the Pharisees.
The Pharisees, as their name indicates, are a group of fanatics who separated themselves from the "unclean, ignorant rabble." They think of themselves as a notch above all other people and demand a certain show of deference and respect from everyone. The Pharisees have presented a severe interpretation of the Torah for the people, but they themselves do not follow their interpretation. On this occasion they seek to trap Jesus because his followers do not wash their hands before they eat. Jesus really scolds them on this occasion.
"Why do you break the commandments of God in order to carry out your traditions?" Then he uses the commandment of duty to parents as an example. Children are to work with and help their parents according to the commandment of God. However, the Pharisees taught that if this help was given to them in the name of religion, obligation to parents was cancelled and their parents would have to fend for themselves. Jesus calls them "Hypocrites!" They give only lip-service to God. Matthew shows how they are already condemned in the teaching of Isaiah, centuries before.
Jesus goes on to explain why his statements are true. Basically, it is not what goes into the mouth that makes a person unclean in the eyes of the Law. Rather, it is what comes out of the mouth. His point is clear. No food that you eat is going to render you morally unclean. However, when you speak, your words express your ideas and convictions and these will condemn you if they are immoral.
"BLIND LEAD BLIND — ALL LOSE." The disciples react strongly. They see that the Pharisees are really angry at this public affront. Jesus takes a firm stand again. He stresses that the leaders of the Jews are not truly men of God. In fact, he says they are blind people leading blind people and all will fall into the pit together.
The disciples were still not sure they understood what he was saying. Jesus spells it out in detailed form. Anything you eat goes through the digestive system and the waste matter passes out into the sewer. But from the heart and out through the mouth come the expressions of all evil intentions: murder, adultery, fornication (porneia), theft, perjury, slander. "These are the things that make a person unclean. To eat with unwashed hands does not make a person unclean."
"Even the Dogs Get the Scraps"
This story is really unusual. Jesus seems almost cruel. However, he wants to make a strong point and he knows the dispositions of the woman are up to it. She is a Canaanite woman, not an Israelite. She comes running after Jesus and begs him to cure her daughter. She is so loud and persistent that the apostles ask him to help her — just to get rid of her. Jesus gives what seems a rather snobbish answer. He is here only for the people of Israel. Then Jesus turns and speaks a terrible insult. He compares this woman to one of the dogs that skulk around the homes and tables of the rich. Jesus said it is not right to give the food of the children to such curs. The woman comes right back: "Yes, sir! But even the dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall from the table or are thrown to them." Jesus turns in glad amazement. He praises the lady for the depth and strength of her faith and tells her to go on home. Her favor has been granted and the daughter was healed from that time.
Matthew 15:29–31. This is another summary of the way in which Jesus worked. This time he is up in the hills along the shores of the Lake of Galilee. Crowds are amazed at the healings that take place.
Matthew 15:32–39. This is another account of the feeding of large crowds in the desert area. The numbers are not quite as large as the previous story. Did Jesus feed these large crowds more than once and is that why the story is told more than once? Or is this another account of the same incident from a different source and so not exactly the same details? Either solution would fit in with the Semitic notion of history. I don't have a solution to the question. I would be inclined to think that Jesus would be in this situation more and more as the crowds grew.
Leaven of the Pharisees
JEWISH LEADERS STUBBORN. Matthew 16:1–4. This short account is very stern. The refusal of the Jewish leaders to accept Jesus is becoming more and more open. So Jesus is becoming more and more blunt in his condemnation of them. As he points out later, he is trying to offset their bad influence on the crowds. He does not really hope to convert the leaders. He tells the Pharisees that they are always reading the skies to interpret the weather. But they are too stubborn and obtuse to read the signs of the moral awakening that should be happening. Then he says they can look up the sign of Jonah again.
LEAVEN OF PHARISEES. Matthew 16:5–12. The apostles are over on the other shore with Jesus. They forgot to bring along food for themselves. Jesus makes a statement about the "leaven of the leaders." The apostles think that Jesus is giving a subtle rebuke for forgetting the food. So Jesus addresses them directly to remind them how easily he fed the large crowds. So he surely could provide lunch for their little group. Finally, the apostles understand that Jesus is talking about the false and narrow-minded teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. He is warning them not to be fooled and dragged into their net as so many of the people were.
Kepha — Ekklesia — Sheol — Keys of Kingship
Now comes one of the highlights of Matthew's Gospel. Jesus has only his apostles with him. He asks a question. "You have been listening to the talk. Who do the people think I (the Son of Man) really am?" They give the answers: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Jesus continues his probe: "Who do you say that I am?"
This time Peter speaks up, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." This is really a surprise confession until we remember the kind of person Peter is. He is brash, outspoken, dedicated, and a leader. Jesus is really fond of Peter and now he shows it: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona. You did not learn this from any human person but from my Father in Heaven. And so I say to you: You are 'Bedrock' and on this Bedrock I will build my Church. The gates of Sheol shall not be able to withstand it. I will give you the keys of the kingship of the heavens. Whatsoever you bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven, and whatsoever you loose on earth shall also be loosed in heaven."
No words in the Gospel are more meaningful. In this statement there are five points of extreme importance: 1. The OCCASION of the statement: Peter's act of faith. 2. The Aramaic name given to Peter by Jesus: KEPHA, meaning BEDROCK. 3. THE GATES OF SHEOL: Sheol is the kingdom of death. The gates of Sheol will not be able to withstand the power of the Kingship of the Heavens which is founded on Peter. Some special power over all death is being conceded to the followers of Jesus. 4. THE KEYS OF THE KINGSHIP: As keeper of the keys, Peter will control all that the Kingship stands for. 5. TOTALITY PHRASE: to bind or to loose. This is a Semitic idiom that stresses the totality of this power and the extent to which it is to be exercised.
THE CHURCH AND PETER'S ROLE. If a person had to choose the most basic and most important statements in the gospel story, these few verses would get the highest number of votes. Jesus tells how he expects his teachings to remain alive through all of time and to carry on their creative, beneficial work for all of human society.
First of all, there has to be a strong charismatic leader. Simon is the man chosen and his role is defined perfectly. His name is changed to "Kepha" — the Aramaic word for "Bedrock." It does not simply mean stone or rock. A loose stone or rock, no matter how big, is able to be moved. Bedrock, by its very nature, goes to the heart of the earth. This may not be the best geology but it was the picture at the time this word was spoken. Hence, the primary aspect of the role of Peter and his successors, is stability and firmness. As the Kingship grows and expands, it is rooted ever more firmly in the leadership of Peter.
Note that Simon is called: the Kepha — the Bedrock. The bedrock is at the bottom lending strength and stability to the building. The authority of Peter and his successors is to be a support from the bottom, not a control from the top. The upper structure of a building is important but the firmness and soundness of the building is based on the foundation.
THE LEADER COMBINES BEDROCK AND SHEPHERD. To depict the kind of leadership Peter and his successors were to exercise, the figure of the Shepherd leading his flock is chosen. For the full explanation of this image, look up John chapter 10. The shepherd is up in front leading and calling each sheep individually but in no way does he domineer or force his ideas on the flock. These two notions of leadership, bedrock and shepherd, have been used, misused and abused through the centuries by the people in power.
Next, there is the only principal enemy of the Church: the gates of Sheol. This too is an Aramaic word that means the whole realm of death. Until the time of Jesus, death was a huge mystery. No one came back from the dead to tell the living what happened after life ended. Now, Jesus says, the realm of death shall be completely under the control of the church, and the kingdom of death cannot withstand the power of this church. This church will in some way have total power over death.
KEYS OF KINGSHIP TO THE KINGDOM AS UNDERSTOOD BY PARABLES. Then comes the notion of the Keys of the Kingship of the Heavens. Whoever has the keys controls all that they open. Go back to chapter 13 and re-read the parables on the Kingship. Each is a description of some aspect of the power of the Keys. Wherever an aspect of the Kingship is developed in the Gospel, this is also an aspect of the power under the control of these Keys.
The Kingship of the Heavens is the farmer who sows grain in the fields. The farmer becomes the Church. The grain is the teaching of Jesus. The fields are the whole world and all the peoples in it. The Church has the role of dispensing the teachings and ideals of Jesus.
The Kingship of the Heavens is the field in which the good seed is sowed and then the enemy comes and sows the weeds. The two grow together until the end of time. Then the weeds will be gathered first and destroyed, and the good grain can be gathered into the barns of Jesus. The application has meaning for all times. No matter when or where the church is alive, there will be people who do not accept or live by the principles of Jesus. These people must be thwarted in their evil influence as much as possible but they will never be totally eradicated until the final stage of the Kingship.
Application to today's Christian churches: The church should always be the small mustard seed. This is one area that I think has to be reconsidered and then some adjustments made. The church has become a huge structure parallel to the pagan world around it. Over the centuries, the church has been guilty of social and moral abuse of individuals and whole peoples. To admit this abuse is not enough. Steps must be taken to restore the "Mustard Seed" quality of the church.
The church is to function as leaven or yeast. This means that it must function from its inner strength as it grows in the consciences and lives of the members.
The church must be seen as treasure or a pearl of great value. This means that the church must be a reality that appeals to the members at all times and for which they want to live and die. They are willing to give everything so that the ideas and ideals of the church may take root and spread.
Then, the church is likened to the dragnet made up of human beings. Some people are convinced followers who live their high ideals at all time. They recognize their responsibility to the people around them. Others come along just for the ride. This division cannot be fully and finally corrected until the end of time. Then the parasites are cast off and the truly zealous followers of Jesus will enter into glory with him.
Finally, the totality phrase "to loose and bind" clearly indicates that this power is judgmental. Peter and his successors are to make some decisions and these decisions are to be respected. Does this statement refer to "infallibility"? I don't think so. The object of this judgment is the measuring up or failure to measure up to the qualities of membership. It is concerned with selfishness or "sin" insofar as this conduct destroys the harmony, peace and love that are basic to the teachings of Jesus. The judgment of Peter in his office as leader will be ratified by the Father.
As I mull over what the church has become and see what it was supposed to be, I get both angry and sad. I get angry because the structure of the church is identical with the Pharisaic reality which Jesus so roundly condemned. Today's church is worse because it has spread to the whole world — not just Palestine. I get sad because I realize how different the world would be if the basic Christian principles were believed and lived.
"I'M AFRAID. CAN I BEAR IT?" Matthew 16:21–23. These passages all deal with Jesus' awareness of his suffering and death that were soon to come. How often did he talk about these somber events? Probably often and more frequently as the time drew near. How did he know these things would happen? He knew how much he was antagonizing the Jewish leaders. He knew the people were really enthusiastic about his works. He also knew how easily this crowd would turn against him at the first sign of opposition from the leaders. He knew the leaders could not allow him to continue or their authority would be completely destroyed. He had seen the way in which previous political leaders had been threatened and stopped in his own lifetime.
He knew the kind of punishment that would befall him because he knew what was in Jewish law and what the Romans allowed. He knew he would get the worst of everything because he had attacked the leaders openly and exposed their hypocrisy for all to see and ridicule.
Peter, following his usual emotional patterns, protested openly that these sufferings would not come. Jesus was too powerful. He had withstood the leaders publicly. Peter expected Jesus to remove the Pharisees' stinger entirely. He couldn't imagine anything else. This very loyalty will be the source of his undoing in a short while.