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SCRIPTURE: Matthew 16:21-28
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CHAPTER 16: THE CONTEXT
This reading is closely tied to verses 13-20, last week's Gospel lesson. In verse 16, Peter confessed his faith that Jesus was the messiah, the Son of God. Now Jesus shows him what messiahship and discipleship entail.
VERSE 21: JESUS MUST GO TO JERUSALEM
21From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must (Greek: dei –– it is necessary) go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.
"From that time, Jesus began." These are the same words that Matthew used in 4:17 to mark the transition following Jesus temptation. There Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." Now he begins to show his disciples that he must suffer and die.
"Jesus began to show." He will tell the disciples over and over, because they are simply unable to grasp what he is saying. Not until they see the resurrected Christ will the truth begin to break through their prior understanding.
"he must (dei –– it is necessary) go to Jerusalem" The little word, dei, speaks of divine necessity –– of God's will. Jesus must go to Jerusalem to complete his God-given mission.
Jesus "suffer many things." Isaiah 53:4-6 introduces the idea of a Suffering Servant, so the idea should not be foreign to the disciples –– but it is.
Jesus will suffer "from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed." These three groups make up the Sanhedrin, the supreme court of the Jews. It is not the worst of men who will kill Jesus, but the best.
"and the third day be raised up." Jesus' prediction of his own death is so shocking that, like a great magnet, it draws all our attention. It seems unlikely that the disciples are still listening when Jesus predicts his resurrection. They are still focused on the words, "be killed."
Note that "be raised," like "be killed," is in the passive voice. Jesus will not commit suicide –– the Jewish leaders assume the initiative for his death. Jesus will not raise himself from the dead, but will place his life in God's hands. God will take the initiative for the resurrection.
VERSE 22: GOD FORBID IT, LORD!
22Peter took him aside, and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord! This will never be done to you."
"Peter took him aside, and began to rebuke him." Having so recently been confirmed in his belief that Jesus is the messiah, Peter cannot understand this dramatic news. He has the decency to take Jesus aside so that his rebuke is private rather than public. His rebuke is friendly, but a rebuke nevertheless. He treats Jesus as a fallen Lord who must be helped to his feet.
"Far be it from you, Lord!" (literally, "May God be gracious to you, Lord"), which here means "May God prevent this from happening to you."
We should not be surprised that Peter fails to understand (see 1 Corinthians 1:23-24).
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VERSE 23: GET BEHIND ME, SATAN!
23But he turned, and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men."
"But he turned, and said to Peter." Jesus turns to confront Peter face-to-face, which sounds as if Peter has been physically positioned behind him all the time. "Get behind me, Satan!" Now Jesus demands that Peter move behind him spiritually as well as physically. Jesus' words are reminiscent of his response to Satan, "Get behind me, Satan" (4:10), at the conclusion of the wilderness temptation. The difference is that Jesus commanded Satan to move away or depart (Greek: hupago), while he commands Peter to move (hupago again) to his proper position behind Jesus. That is the disciple's place –– behind the master.
"Get behind me, Satan!" In this incident, Peter becomes Satan –– tempter. Just as Satan tried to persuade Jesus to take the easy way, so now Peter calls Jesus to abandon the narrow, rough road that leads to the cross.
"for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men." That isn't the way that Peter sees it. Peter understands that Jesus is the messiah, and is simply trying to keep him from spoiling everything in a weak moment. Peter wants messiah to succeed.
We should take note. The church is always tempted to take the world's high road instead of God's low road. We are tempted to put our faith in the world's methods (advertising, fund-raising, psychology, theatrics, high production values, etc., etc., etc.) instead of God's methods (the cross, preaching the cross, taking up our cross, serving the needy in Christ's name).
VERSES 24-26: IF ANY WANT TO BECOME MY FOLLOWERS
24Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25For whoever desires to save his life (Greek: psuchen –– life or soul) will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it. 26For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?
"Then Jesus said to his disciples" (v. 24a). In Mark's Gospel, Jesus addresses these words to the crowds (8:34), but this Gospel, he addresses the disciples.
"If anyone desires to come after me" (v. 24b). These disciples earlier left everything to follow Jesus. Now Jesus invites them to reassess their decision based on the new information about the cross.
"let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (v. 24c). First Jesus mentions self-denial, but that is just the beginning. Jesus also expects disciples to bear a cross. A cross is where a person dies. End of story!
Except that it isn't the end of the story! "For whoever desires to save his life (psuchen –– life or soul) will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it" (v. 25). From the very beginning of his teaching in this Gospel, Jesus taught the Great Reversal.
The meaning of discipleship is slowly unfolding. The disciples did not fully understand discipleship when they signed on. Now, even though Jesus clearly states what lies ahead, they still fail to understand.
If the first disciples were slow to understand, we need not be surprised if we are also slow to understand. Spiritual growth takes place slowly and painfully. Our spiritual journey takes a lifetime.
The reward of cross-bearing is life. What does Jesus mean by life? The Christian life, with its costs and rewards, begins when we first begin to take up our cross and follow Jesus. It gives freedom from fear of death –– from slavery to materialism –– from a sense of worthlessness.
Jesus uses the language of commerce to ask, "Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?" (v. 26b) –– "but the language of commerce is not applicable when we are talking about one's life.... One's life is in a different world; nothing can compensate for its loss" (Morris, 433).
VERSES 27-28: THE SON OF MAN IS TO COME WITH HIS ANGELS
27For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds (Greek: ten praxin autou –– his or her work singular –– not works plural). 28Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom."
"For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels" (v. 27). Son of Man is the most common title for Jesus in this Gospel. He "will render to everyone according to his deeds" (ten praxin autou –– his or her work singular –– not works plural). This is both a warning and a promise. For those trying to save their own lives and to feather their own nests, it is a warning. For those willing to lose their lives for Jesus' sake, it is a promise.
"there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom" (v. 28). The question is whether Jesus is speaking of the Second Coming or another event (the resurrection or the Transfiguration or Pentecost or the destruction of Jerusalem). "It is unlikely that Jesus would mean (the Second Coming); he consistently refused to set dates, and in any case he said explicitly that he did not know when the End would come (24:36)" (Morris, 434).
SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible(WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Bible, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. The ASV, which is also in the public domain due to expired copyrights, was a very good translation, but included many archaic words (hast, shineth, etc.), which the WEB has updated.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Barclay, William, Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 2 (Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press, 1957)
Bergant, Dianne with Fragomeni, Richard, Preaching the New Lectionary, Year A (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 2001)
Blomberg , Craig L., New American Commentary: Matthew, Vol. 22 (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1992)
Boring, M. Eugene, The New Interpreter's Bible, Vol. VIII (Nashville: Abingdon, 1995)
Brueggemann, Walter; Cousar, Charles B.; Gaventa, Beverly R.; and Newsome, James D., Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary Based on the NRSV –– Year A (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995)
Bruner, Frederick Dale, Matthew: Volume 2, The Churchbook, Matthew 13-28 (Dallas: Word, 1990)
Craddock, Fred B.; Hayes, John H.; Holladay, Carl R.; Tucker, Gene M., Preaching Through the Christian Year, A (Valley Forge: Trinity Press International, 1992)
Gardner, Richard B., Believers Church Bible Commentary: Matthew (Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 1990)
Hagner, Donald A., Word Biblical Commentary: Matthew 14-28, Vol. 33b (Dallas: Word, 1995)
Hare, Douglas R. A., Interpretation: Matthew (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1993)
Harrington, Daniel J., S.J., Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of Matthew (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1991)
Johnson, Sherman E. and Buttrick, George A., The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 7 (Nashville: Abingdon, 1951)
Long, Thomas G., Westminster Bible Companion: Matthew (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997)
Lueking, F. Dean in Van Harn, Roger (ed.), The Lectionary Commentary: Theological Exegesis for Sunday's Text. The Third Readings: The Gospels (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001)
Keener, Craig S., The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: Matthew, (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1997)
Martin, Clarice J., Proclamation 6: Pentecost 2, Series A (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995)
Morris, Leon, The Gospel According to Matthew (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1992)
Senior, Donald, Abingdon New Testament Commentaries: Matthew (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998)
Soards, Marion; Dozeman, Thomas; McCabe, Kendall, Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Year A (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993)
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