St Matthew Chapter XVI : Verses 21-28
Contents
- Matt. xvi. 21-28. Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
- Notes on the text.
- Additional Notes: Jesus’ rebuke to St Peter.
Matt. xvi. 21-28
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| Get behind me... J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. |
Exinde cœpit Jesus ostendere discipulis suis, quia oporteret eum ire Jerosolymam, et multa pati a senioribus, et scribis, et principibus sacerdotum, et occidi, et tertia die resurgere.
22 And Peter taking him, began to rebuke him, saying: Lord, be it far from thee, this shall not be unto thee.
Et assumens eum Petrus, cœpit increpare illum dicens : Absit a te, Domine : non erit tibi hoc.
23 Who turning, said to Peter: Go behind me, Satan, thou art a scandal unto me: because thou savourest not the things that are of God, but the things that are of men.
Qui conversus, dixit Petro : Vade post me Satana, scandalum es mihi : quia non sapis ea quæ Dei sunt, sed ea quae hominum.
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Tunc Jesus dixit discipulis suis : Si quis vult post me venire, abneget semetipsum, et tollat crucem suam, et sequatur me.
25 For he that will save his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it.
Qui enim voluerit animam suam salvam facere, perdet eam : qui autem perdiderit animam suam propter me, inveniet eam.
26 For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for his soul?
Quid enim prodest homini, si mundum universum lucretur, animæ vero suæ detrimentum patiatur? aut quam dabit homo commutationem pro anima sua?
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels: and then will he render to every man according to his works.
Filius enim hominis venturus est in gloria Patris sui cum angelis suis : et tunc reddet unicuique secundum opera ejus.
28 Amen I say to you, there are some of them that stand here, that shall not taste death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Amen dico vobis, sunt quidam de hic stantibus, qui non gustabunt mortem, donec videant Filium hominis venientem in regno suo.
Notes
21. From that time Jesus began, etc. St Peter had acknowledged Him, in the name of all the others, as the Messias. They must now learn that the Messias was not to have a glorious earthly career, but one of humiliation and suffering.
that he must go, etc. All the Synoptists give this prediction, but the third gospel gives the exact words of our Lord. Cf. The Son of man must suffer many things, etc. This was Jesus’ favourite title for Himself. Only, too, as “Son of man” could He suffer and atone for humanity.
suffer. There was no other path of Redemption. So, later, He explains His passion ; Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so to enter into his glory ? (St Luke xxiv. 26).
many things. Some of which will only be revealed in eternity, since all the insults and humiliations to which our Lord was subjected are not detailed in Scripture.
from the ancients, etc. Also He was to be rejected by them, both in the days of His ministry and also during His Passion. Not this man, but Barabbas (St John xviii. 40).
ancients. Senators, not necessarily old men ; they formed part of the Sanhedrin, being nominated by those in authority.
The Sanhedrin consisted of —
(a) The chief priests, (b) The scribes, (c) The elders. Hence our Lord was rejected by the greatest Jewish legislators.
put to death. Our Lord announces His death, but not the manner of it.
the third day. Not necessarily three full days — one full day and a part of two other days would fall within the meaning of the term. This view is illustrated by St Matthew (xxvii. 63, 64), where the chief priests asked that the sepulchre might be guarded, since Christ had said, After three days I will rise again.
rise again. This is a clear prophecy of the Resurrection, which the disciples did not grasp. St Mark adds here : He spoke the word openly.
22. Peter taking him. Apart from the others (προσλαβόμενος). Possibly he drew our Lord away by the hand or mantle. St Peter was scandalized at the idea of a suffering Messias ; so were all the Twelve.
began to rebuke him, — i.e. to reason with our Lord, and to endeavour to dissuade Him from suffering. Evidently this unbecoming action was due to St Peter’s natural impetuosity, to his want of spiritual discernment, and to his vehement personal love of Jesus. St Matthew alone gives the exact words.
Lord, be it far from thee. In the Greek the phrase is elliptical, and the words are “favourable to thee” (Ἵλεώς σοι), before which we must supply “God be” (εἰή ὁ θεός). It amounts to our expression “God forbid,” and is used in this sense in the Old Testament — God forbid that I should do this. Cf. 1 Para. xi. 19.
23. Who turning said to Peter. St Mark has : Who turning about and seeing his disciples. Our Lord did this to fix their attention. Since they shared St Peter’s sentiments regarding a temporal reign of prosperity, they needed to hear the rebuke addressed to St Peter, that they might profit by the lesson.
said to Peter. Jesus “ threatened” i.e. rebuked St Peter.
Go behind me, Satan. This sharp rebuke seems to betray intense feeling on the part of our Lord. As Man, the Passion was repugnant to Him, and naturally He could not but shrink from it. St Peter, in striving to persuade Him to give up this method of Redemption, was echoing the previous Temptation in the desert, when Satan had promised Jesus all the kingdoms of the earth, and the glory of them, without suffering. Judas willingly gave himself up to Satan’s suggestions. St Peter did so unconsciously, but nevertheless the temptation existed, or Jesus would not have said, Thou art a scandal unto me. Notice, our Lord used exactly the same words in His Temptation in the desert.
Satan. Lit. an adversary, one who opposes ; so Christ speaks of Judas. Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve; and one of you is a devil ? (St John vi. 71).
savourest, — i.e. carest for and thinkest of earthly things. St Peter could not grasp the divine plan of Redemption. When the cross falls on us, or on those dear to us, we too, are apt to repine, and to consider these trials from a mere human standpoint, forgetting that : All things work together unto good, to such as, according to his purpose, are called to he saints (Rom. viii. 28) ; and that it is through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God (Acts xiv. 21).
24. Then Jesus said to his disciples. And also to the people. Cf. And calling the multitude together with his disciples, he said to them, etc, (St Mark), A crowd of faithful disciples and many others were still following our Lord. Naturally, at times they would retire to rest apart, and our Lord had Himself just withdrawn to pray in secret. (See St Luke ix. 18.) Jesus called them all because the truths He was about to teach concerned “ all.” He was about to re-enforce the lesson given privately after St Peter’s presumption.
will come after me. In the path of suffering and humiliation.
let him, etc. Notice the three necessary steps if we would be disciples of Christ —
(a) Self-denial. (b) Acceptation of the cross, (c) Imitation of Christ.
deny himself. Christian self-denial is a divine precept. The Jews were taught to practise it, since they were commanded to fast rigorously at certain times, and to give certain alms. We are bound to renounce our sinful appetites and passions. Just as the soldier must practise shooting before he goes to the battlefield, so the Christian must deny himself in lesser things (that are not positively evil), that he may acquire the habit of self-renunciation, and be prepared for the greater occasions when self-denial becomes a necessity.
take up his cross. Each disciple has his own personal cross to bear. Also, there is an indirect allusion here to the Crucifixion of our Lord.
Criminals were forced to take up their cross and to carry it to the place of execution. St Luke adds the word “ daily.” Not fitfully, but daily we must bear the cross. Two of our Lord’s apostles, St Peter and St Andrew, literally took up their crosses, while all except St John died a martyr’s death, and this exception was due to a miracle.
follow me. By imitating His virtues in our feeble degree.
25. For, — i.e. since. Note that God has made it even to our own interest to serve Him. We are created to love and serve God, and by so doing we merit eternal life.
shall lose. It is only an apparent “loss” when a man suffers for Christ or for the Gospel, since his eternal salvation is thereby secured. “ Keep your seed and you lose it, sow it and you will find it again” (St Greg.).
for my sake. For the personal love of Jesus. St Mark adds, and the gospel : — the faith which Christ came on earth to teach.
26. For what doth it profit, etc. ? In this text soul stands for “ life.” The argument is, “Of what advantage will it be to secure the whole world, and in so doing to sacrifice life, without which one cannot enjoy earthly pleasures ?”
what exchange ? Lit. “ what ransom ” (τί δώσει ἄνθρωπος ἀντάλλαγμα). When a man deliberately sacrifices his eternal interests and stakes his own soul in payment, how shall he buy back that soul ? Clearly the answer is : — “ Nothing, since the Blood of Christ shed for our ransom may redeem a dead soul (i.e. one deprived of grace), but will never ransom a lost soul, one that has been condemned for all eternity.”
Note. — These words prove that the loss of the soul is perpetual and irreparable, and they must have gone home to the minds of those who were seeking an earthly kingdom rather than a heavenly one.
in the glory, etc. As the Representative of the Father, and also in His own majesty (St Luke), for the Son is one with the Father. (See St John xvii. 21.)
27. then will he render, etc. This applies both to the just and to the wicked. God will reward or punish according to a man’s deserts.
works. The singular is used (πρᾶξιν). It means rather conduct in general than isolated acts. In the parallel passages we find here the reference to those who deny Christ. He that shall he ashamed of me and of my words, of him the Son of man shall he ashamed, when he shall come in his majesty, and that of his Father, and of the holy angels (St Luke). St Matthew places these words in the charge to the apostles (x. 33).
28. Amen, I say to you. “Christ's ‘Amen I say to you’ always introduces His solemn and authoritative revelations of divine truth” (Alford).
there are some of them that stand here. This verse has given rise to much controversy. It cannot refer to the general judgment, since that has not yet taken place. Commentators in general are of the opinion that this prophecy may refer to any or all of the three following events : —
(1) The Transfiguration ; when Christ appeared in glory, witnessed by three apostles only.
(2) The Descent of the Holy Ghost ; witnessed by all except Judas.
(3) The taking of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. St John was the only survivor of the apostles, and he was not an eye-witness, but others who heard our Lord speak would have been alive at the time, A.D. 71.
shall not taste death. An Arabic idiomatic expression, which presents death under the aspect of a bitter potion. Cf. If any man keep my word, he shall not taste death for ever (St John viii. 52). But we see Jesus . . . . that through the grace of God he might taste death for all (Heb. ii.9).
Additional Notes
Jesus’ rebuke to St Peter. Some commentators (St Hilary, St John Chrysostom, Marcellus, Eusebius, etc.) prefer the view that only the words “ Get thee behind me ” were addressed to St Peter, while the following words, “ Satan, thou art a scandal to me, because thou savourest not the things that are of God but the things that are of men,” were addressed to Satan. Others take them as addressed to St Peter, but with a secondary reference to Satan, since St Peter was, as it were, the mouthpiece of the devil. If “ Get thee behind me was addressed only to St Peter, then it would mean, “ Walk in my footsteps and renounce your ideas of earthly grandeur.” Non-Catholic writers have criticised this passage of Holy Scripture and used it as a weapon against the Church. Where, they ask, is the Papal infallibility, if St Peter, directly after his election to the Primacy, so grossly erred ? To this objection Catholic commentators give the following answer: St Peter, though elected to be the Head of the Church, was not yet established as such, for our Lord was still on earth. Jesus’ promises were to be realized in the future. “On this rock I will build my church.” “ To thee I will give, ” etc. The future tense is used throughout. As yet, and until after the descent of the Holy Ghost, the apostles were not endowed with the prerogative of infallibility. After Pentecost, St Peter is never found erring as regards the faith, and his successors, the Popes, share this wondrous privilege. As regards St Peter’s presumption in rebuking our Lord, it should be remarked —
(1) That infallibility does not presuppose or include impeccability.
(2) That spiritual dignities do not eliminate the human element in man. The gospels shew us the apostles even as they were, with all their faults and failings. Had the Church wished to conceal these she could have prevented the Sacred Books, which related them, from being read publicly in the churches, for we must not forget that the Catholic Church was the guardian of the Sacred Scriptures for over thirteen centuries, before the existence of Protestantism.
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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