Pharisees and Sadducees come to test Jesus some more. Pharisees worked close to the people and were seen as religious leaders and Sadducees were political figures and more like aristocrats. They did not get along at all. But they decided to unite against a common threat to their power. They ask for a sign from heaven, as though He hadn’t done a million by this time. This was not about disbelief, this was about a hardened heart looking to remove Him. But Jesus isn’t a dancing monkey here to perform miracles on command. Jesus references common sailor wisdom that a red sky at night ("…sailors delight, red sky in morning sailors take warning") is an indicator of good weather. He more or less says, you can interpret weather patterns and draw conclusions but despite all the evidence of His Divinity that’s been presented, they can’t read those signs. No sign will be satisfying because they refuse to believe from the beginning. They didn’t miss the truth, they’ve refused it. Once again, He says an evil generation demands a sign but will receive none but the sign of Jonah. Once again, we recall that Jonah was taken from the world and returned after 3 days. If they don’t believe then, surely no force on earth or in heaven will convince them.

They roll out again and one of the disciples realizes they forgot to bring food. Again. I love these guys so much. Another food related miracle? Nope. Jesus says “Beware the yeast of the P&S’s.” and the disciples are like “…..but we didn’t bring any bread?” I love these guys so much. Jesus is mad as though to say “Are you REALLY fretting over food again?” What part of creating bread from nothing did they forget? Is this a faith thing? They just don’t believe? No, it just seems Jesus’s point went soaring over their heads. So I did a little tricky earlier, most translations say “beware the leaven”, but I know some people aren’t as familiar with that language. Leaven is yeast and a little bit of yeast can grow in quantity in the bread and some Jewish laws would require them to eat unleavened bread on occasion, so if the yeast spread, all their bread would be ruined. They weren’t even thinking about the metaphor Jesus was using—–knowing full well He speaks in metaphors and parables often—–because they were focused on their most mundane needs. In the presence of God, they still worried about their next meal, somehow. Are we really so different? Ignoring God because we’re caught up in our own little anxieties or failures?

For Jews, the leaven reference isn’t like it is for us. Culturally, they should’ve easily understood this, particularly because Jesus mentioned the P&Ss by name. They really shouldn’t have taken it at face value, even though it seems really reasonable for English speakers today. Yeast was often used as a metaphor for evil because even a little bit can grow and spread and ruin a large mass. That’s why God wanted the Jews to do all the “weird” little things they did to KEEP SEPARATE. Distance themselves from corrupting influences. Dietary restrictions that make it hard to eat with others, among other things. To keep them from falling away. He’s telling them to be on guard against the teachings of the people who had corrupted the faith. If someone is wrong about just a little in their teachings, that can spread rapidly and it becomes a matter of spiritual life and death. This is what motivates Christians to correct each other as well as avoid false teachers, even if they come bearing the cross and speaking of loyalty to Jesus.

Speaking of which, they arrive in Philippi and he asks who the people say the Son of Man is. Son of Man again being a reference to a prophecy from Daniel about the Messiah. They give a variety of answers since people assumed a powerful prophet, among whom Jesus was counted at the time, but they said it could’ve been any of them. That’s the buzz around town, anyway. But do the disciples think? Peter. Based Peter is our guy yet again. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” They may not always get the finer details correct, but they at least have faith that Jesus is who He says. Jesus congratulates Peter, using his family name to say it’s not that same family who passed down the knowledge through tradition or study, but God the Father who reveals it to us and gifts us with faith.

Alright, here’s another big one. Peter is the rock on which Jesus builds His church.

-Catholics: Jesus names Peter specifically. He was basically the leader of the disciples and often speaks on behalf of the group. He gave the confession of faith and was in turn given the keys to the kingdom. Peter was the first Pope and his successors inherit his authority.

-Protestant: They view his confession as the rock. His statement was the foundation of the faith. Others say that Christ Himself is the rock. Authority belongs to Christ and no others.

That’s it. That’s all we’re doing.

Moving right along, He empowers the apostles to build the church, basically. Exercising discipline, establishing what is true, and how the truth will be practiced. Still, that’s not license to become Pharisees, the church and the truth belong to and answer to Jesus. It will be led according to His will and design. In the meantime, still keep the identity of the Christ to themselves. If people pieced it together, that’s great. But generally the attitude was that the Messiah was to stage a revolution against Rome and Jesus wasn’t trying to be followed around everywhere by people talking about and eager to overthrow the ruling government. He briefs them on what’s to come: He’s going to Jerusalem, right to the center of trouble, to suffer under the elder and chief priests, be killed, and return on the third day. Peter isn’t having it and actually scolds Jesus saying that won’t happen, presumably because he would prevent it. Some of this is because Peter doesn’t want bad things, some because the Messiah is supposed to crush the enemy, not be killed, and some is pride, thinking he can override God’s plan because he doesn’t like it. Taking a sharp turn from just being praised for his faith, Peter gets a brutal rebuke: “Get behind me Satan, you’re a hindrance to me” Oof. Interpreters are divided on whether Jesus is calling Peter “Satan” or directly speaking to Satan for influencing Peter. Either way, Peter “saving” Jesus would destroy God’s plan for all humanity, which is desirable to Satan. So the meaning is clear.

Jesus says to follow Him is to deny themselves, pick up their cross, and follow Him. The cross being a brutal and horrifying public means of humiliation, torture, and execution. Everything of what you are has to be killed, on the cross even, to submit to God’s will and walk after Him. Jesus reminds us that the death of self is the path to life through Christ. You can keep your earthly interests or your soul, so what is a soul worth? Are your goals on this earth (political, economic, etc) worth turning your back on Jesus for? The cost you pay to blow off this life is very low compared to the ones God and His angels will extract if you deny Him.