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After the interlude of the Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven in Lesson 13, Lesson 14 plunged us back into the tension and conflict that built like steam in a pressure cooker across Lessons 11 & 12. In Lesson 14 the pressure exploded into crisis as Jesus friends and neighborsthe people he grew up with in Nazarethflatly rejected him; Herod Antipas took notice of Jesus; Herod murdered John the Baptist, delivering Johns severed head on a platter at Herods birthday party; the religious leaders among the Sadducees and Pharisees demanded a sign; and religious leaders arrived from Jerusalemthe center of religious and political powerand rejected Jesus outright. In the midst of it all, God continued performing great miracles through Jesus, validating evermore strongly, Jesus identity, actions and authority.
In sharp contrast to the rejection Jesus experienced in Lesson 14 (14: 1 16: 12), Lesson 15 (16: 13 17: 27) sees Jesus disciples accept him fully. Together, Lessons 14 & 15 comprise the E unit of Matthews overall mirrored chiastic structure.
D Great Discourse #2: Charge and authority of disciples (10) E Narrative: Jews reject Jesus (11-12) F Great Discourse #3: Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven (13) E Narrative: Disciples accept Jesus (14-17) Great Discourse #4: Charge and authority of church (18)
As the Jews reject Jesus in the E unit (chapters 11-12), with their rejection escalating throughout chapters 14-16, Jesus disciples accept him at the conclusion of the E unit (chapters 16: 13 17: 27).
Although many express opinions, there is no consensus on who Jesus is until Jesus takes his disciples to Caesarea Philippi and poses the question himself.
Mt. Sea of
Hermon Galilee
Dead Sea
Mt. Hermon on the Israel/Lebanon border, 43 miles north of the Sea of Galilee.
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas
Capernaum
Caesarea Philippi and the Banias River, flowing out from beneath the cave. In Jesus day it gushed out of the cave itself.
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas
Caesarea Phillipi
The pagan Greek city of Panias dated back to the 2nd century B.C. Panias was renovated by Herod the Greats son Phillip II in A.D. 14, and he renamed the city Caesarea Philippi in honor of Caesar Augustus. In Greek times Panias was the center of worship for the god, Pan, the god of the fields, groves and wooded glens. Consequently, Pan was associated with springtime and fertility. The English words panic and pandemonium derive from his name. With the hindquarters, legs and horns of a goat and the upper body of a man, Pan is famous for his sexual prowess, often appearing with a huge phallus. Pan is the original party animal!
William Bouguereau. Nymphs and Satyr [Pan] (oil on canvas), 1873. Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts.
So, why would Jesus take his disciples 40 miles north to Caesarea Philippi, when the only thing that happens there is Peters confession of faith?
3. Statement: You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it (16: 18). 4. Statement: I will give you the keys to 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 (16: 19).
1. Question: Answer:
Who do people say that the Son of Man is? (16: 13). John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.
2. Question: Who do you (plural) say I am? (16: 15). Answer: You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
Peter Paul Rubens. Delivery of the Keys (oil on oak panel), 1614. Gemldegalerie, Berlin.
3. Statement: You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it (16: 18).
Giiuseppe de Fabris. St. Peter, 1838-1840. Vatican Square, in front of the basilica.
There is a world of difference between the two readings. Since the grammar is ambiguous, both offer legitimate interpretations.
4. Statement: I will give you the keys to 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 (16: 19).
Again, grammar plays a critical role in our reading: * The word you is grammatically singular, referring to Peter, not to the disciples as a group. * shall be bound and shall be loosed are grammatically perfect passive participles, more accurately translated shall have been bound/loosed. * [Since the participle is grammatically perfect, the action happened in the past; since it is passive, the action happened to the noun (heaven) that it modifies.]
Then Peter simply announces on earth what has already been decided in heaven.
For a deeper understanding of the text, we must go beyond the grammar, and consider context, as well as the weight of other evidence.
A Roman Catholic understanding considers the ongoing role of Peter among the Apostles:
Peter is always listed first in the list of Apostles; Jesus lives at Peters home in Capernaum during his public ministry; Peter is always mentioned first among Jesus most intimate circle: Peter, James and John; After his resurrection, Jesus appears first to Peter, then to the Twelve (1 Corinthians 15: 5); Peter preaches the first sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2); When he reinstates Peter, Jesus tells Peter three times to feed my lambs, referring to the other Apostles (John 21: 15,16, 17); When Paul visits Jerusalem he sees none of the other Apostles, only Peter (Galatians 1: 18-19).
Consequently, the Roman Catholic reading establishes the primacy of St. Peter, and the Church is then built upon that primacy.
Logo of the Jesuit Order with Jesus anagram Star symbolizes Mary Motto: By having mercy, by choosing him
The Transfiguration
Giovanni Bellini. Transfiguration of Christ (oil on wood), 1487-1495. Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte, Naples.
Temple Tax for me and you! (see the shekel in the fishs mouth?)
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas
1. Why does Jesus take his disciples to Caesarea Philippi? 2. In what sense did people think Jesus was John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets? 3. Does Jesus build his church on St. Peter or on an individuals confession of faith? Could it be both? 4. The implications for Jesus being Messiah and Son of God are suffering, death and resurrection. What are the implications for his disciples? 5. What are the implications for us?