Gospel:
Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay all according to his conduct.”
Gospel Trivia:
There are three occasions in Matthew's gospel when Jesus predicts his passion and death. This Sunday's gospel passage is the first of them. We should note the following:
- the passage follows a pattern:
a) the prediction,
b) the disciples do not understand the prediction (and objects to it),
c) a teaching is said, and finally,
d) the announcement of the resurrection.
- the word "must" is used: "Jesus began to show his disciples that he MUST go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly..." It suggests that the passion is not accidental but is part and parcel of Jesus' mission. The suffering is a necessary part of salvation and of discipleship.
The Greek word used for "must" is "dei" which connotes the will of God, and not just a fatal necessity.
- Jesus is not only aware, but ACCEPTS, that suffering and death are part of the plan. It is not just his insight but something revealed in Scriptures.
Contrast this with the objection of Peter and the use of "Satan" to refer to him. Satan deceives, and prefers temporal life and pleasure to suffering and eternal life.
On your road to discipleship? Then expect, no, accept that one will encounter pain and suffering along the way.
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Makati: St. Paul's Publications), pp. 219-221.
Gospel:
Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Gospel Trivia:
This particular passage is considered as the "turning point" or "hinge" in Matthew's gospel. It contains a declaration by the disciples of who Jesus is and, in turn, the appointment of one of the disciples as their leader. Jesus is declared as the "Son of God". Yet, in the chapters that follow, Jesus will talk more and more about his suffering, humiliation, and death. Such a contrast: from being declared as the "Christ and Son of the God" to a Suffering Servant.
How do we interpret the significance of the various personalities and "titles" attributed to Jesus?
- "Christ" - it is not Jesus' last name. The "christ" is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word "messiah". The messiah is the savior or liberator of the people, and is the person chosen or anointed by God to do this task. The messiah is expected to be likely a "king" because he is the leader of the people, and kings are anointed with holy oil. This king or messiah will rule the united tribes of Israel after liberating them from the rule of foreign oppressors which, during the time of Jesus, were the Romans.
- "Son of God" - can refer to the divinity of Jesus, but is also another term used by Hebrews to refer to a "messiah." Biblical scholars believe that when used by Matthew, this title refers to either or both meanings.
- "John the Baptist," "Elijah," "Jeremiah" - some believed that Jesus is the reincarnation of these powerful personalities in Jewish history. These references indicate that Jesus was at least regarded as a prophet -- one who speaks in behalf of God and communicates his message (and not necessarily one who foretells the future).
- "Son of Man" - Jesus used the title in a general sense, to refer to himself as a member of humankind. Thus, the verse above would read, "Who do people say this 'member of the human race' is?" (There are, however, varying views about this title and I discuss these in the section below.)
Based on this authority, Jesus appoints Peter as the head of the church by giving him the "keys", which is a symbol of authority. The word "church" refers to an assembly or local group of believers which, at that time, refers to the band of disciples following Jesus. This movement would grow rapidly from initially a Jewish community to what we now acknowledge as the Catholic Church.
Reflecting on this gospel, it is humbling to note that building God's Kingdom depended not on authority and power but on humility and service.
Other Trivia:
In this gospel, the title "Son of Man" is used by Jesus to refer to himself. Among biblical scholars, it is one of the most widely debated and confusing title applied to Jesus. This debate includes whether Jesus used the title himself, or is it a title that the evangelists applied to Jesus afterwards when they wrote the gospels. Here are some their views:
a. Jesus used the title in a general sense, to refer to himself as a member of humankind. Thus, the verse above would read, "Who do people say this 'member of the human race' is?"
b. The gospel writers used it to refer to Jesus' role at the "end times" similar to the vision of Daniel in Daniel 7:13, "As the visions during the night continued, I saw one like a son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven."
c. Jesus used the title himself in a "paradoxical way as the lowly and disreputable messenger of the powerful Kingdom of God." If I were to paraphrase this, it is as if Jesus said, "You expect the Kingdom of God to come through the power and authority of a militant king; but here I am, a person who eat with the poor and lowly, who will teach you the real meaning of God's Kingdom."
References:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Makati: St. Paul's Publications), pp. 213-216.
- Raymond E. Brown et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, pp. 1324-1325.
Gospel:
At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”
But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her. His disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.” He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me!” He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”
Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour.
Gospel Trivia:
If the two previous Sunday gospels narrated the doubt and lack of faith of the disciples, Matthew now illustrates what strong faith is and what it can do.
The woman is a Canaanite, someone from a pagan nation and against whom Jews have fought battles in the past. The effectiveness of persistent faith is thus dramatized in two ways:
- true and strong faith is shown by a pagan woman and compared to the weak faith shown by Jesus' disciples
- the request of the woman is granted from a distance -- her daughter "was healed from that hour." This, together with the healing of the centurion's son (also in Matthew) and the "official's son" in John, are the only three examples of cures from a distance.
One last note on the use of the word "dogs" by Jesus as it may seem too harsh to refer to the woman. The Greek word used is "kunarion" which translates to a "house dog" or "puppy"; and not the word "kuon" which refers to a scavenging canine, sometimes used to refer to a spiritual predator who feeds off others. This is a harmless metaphor used by Matthew to refer to the usual household scene where food from the table falls on the ground and eaten by the house dog. Nothing sinister is associated with the word as used by the evangelist.
It should not detract us from the message of the gospel: God knows no boundaries of race, sex, or religion; but looks at the faith in our hearts.
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Makati: St. Paul's Publications), pp. 209-210.
- http://biblehub.com/greek/2965.htm for definitions of "kunarion" and "kuon."
Gospel:
After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening, he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It is a ghost!” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come!” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was, he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, “You, man of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did Jesus homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”
Gospel Trivia:
There is a common theme between this and last Sunday's gospel on the Feeding of the Five Thousand: the disciples are caught in a difficult situation and Jesus asks them to fend for themselves; the disciples doubt, and Jesus comes to the rescue.
The disciples are caught between their fear and their faith.
In this Sunday's gospel, however, Peter is singled out. This is the first time Matthew does this his gospel. He is set as the leader of the disciples, and yet he is not idealized -- he too, doubts.
There is a couple of "gospel trivia" to note in the passage, both of which Matthew uses to reflect divine power or intercession:
- "water" has parallels in the Old Testament: in the creation story ("a mighty wind swept over the waters") as well as in the liberation of the Jews when they crossed the Red Sea. The power over water is a sign of divine presence.
- "It is I," Jesus says. It is the phrase used proper only to divine apparitions; in the Old Testament, it is used only by God.
These two gospel passages -- The Feeding of the Five Thousand and Peter Walking on Water -- reflects a disciple's journey towards discipleship.
The road of discipleship is filled with trials and difficulties, and occasions when our faith are tested. In many of such occasions, we will doubt and will fail. But, do not be afraid, Jesus acknowledges our imperfect faith and will share with us his power.
It is not the disciple using the power of God, but the power of God using the disciple.
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Makati: St. Paul's Publications), pp. 205-207.
Gospel:
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied. When they picked up the fragments left over, they filled up twelve wicker baskets. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.
Gospel Trivia:
The miracle of the feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle that is in all four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. (This is not to be confused with the miracle of the FOUR thousand which appears only in Mark and Matthew). Therefore, this must be a very special event for it to be captured by all four evangelists.
Many interpretations of this gospel convey that that the message refers to sharing one's food and resources with others, and that if we all did, then there is enough for everyone. While each evangelist has his own specific message when including an event in his gospel, this interpretation is likely NOT the intended message of Matthew.
We should note the following in Matthew's version:
- the context of this miracle is during a day of healing the sick; and healing the sick is one of the ways Jesus uses in communicating the condition of the Kingdom of God. (Note: in Mark, the context is a day of teaching, not healing).
- the phrase "when it was evening" is the same phrase used in designating the time of the last supper; interestingly, in Matthew's gospel, the "bread" is given a lot more emphasis than the "fish" in Jesus' thanksgiving prayer.
- the disciples play a key role in distributing the food: Jesus orders them to give food to the crowd and later on, Jesus gives the food to the disciples who in turn gives it to the crowd.
Matthew's message is the role of the disciples in building the Kingdom of God: the disciples are the extension of Jesus' power and ministry. Also, for Matthew, the Eucharist is more than a ceremony or prayer, but it finds its true meaning when we extend Him who we receive in the Eucharist to others.
When we celebrate the Eucharist, we become like Jesus to those we encounter in the other six days of the week.
There are twelve baskets of leftovers, referring to the heavenly banquet, when our Kingdom building finds its fulfillment.
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Makati: St. Paul's Publications), pp. 201-203.
