Jesus troubles Jewish society. Tradition stabilizes the society. Jesus and his disciples do not abide by all the little rules. Jesus points out that they violate the spirit of the law in the way they keep it, dishonoring their parents while claiming to honor God. The danger of law keeping is that the lips are tempted to profess what the heart no longer feels. Religion turns empty and hollow. Jesus didn’t come to defend that kind of emptiness.
He came to delight in real faith—the kind he finds in the Canaanite woman. She is persistent, believing, and clever. Jesus delights in her. He is happy to give her the scraps. He has been serving big, juicy portions of the love of God to the Jews. Now some of them are weary of him, suspicious of Him. Jesus is willing for her to get what they don’t want.
We read last week about the feeding of the 5000. The feeding of the 4000 is much like it. Jesus is compassionate and powerful. The disciples are witnesses of his love and grace.
In chapter sixteen, we see the increasing distance between those with eyes who cannot see and those with eyes who can see. The Pharisees and Sadducees come wanting Jesus to show them a sign from heaven. Where have they been? Jesus has fed more than 9000 people. He has healed many. Many demons are out of a place to live. They want to see a trick. Nothing will be a sign producing faith in them. Jesus says they will receive the sign of Jonah. He leaves them to think about that.
As he moves away from the doctors of unbelief, he warns his disciples about the yeast, the influence, of the Pharisees. It has to be comedy that Matthew tells us that the disciples misunderstood the words of Jesus and thought he was worried about their not having enough bread. Jesus wonders if they remember the 5000 and the 4000. If one remembers the provision of Jesus to others in the past, one will never wonder if Jesus will provide in the present. We hear this as a call to put worry aside and follow Jesus.
When Jesus gets to the northern boundary of Galilee, he gathers with his disciples at the headwaters of the Jordan at Caesarea Philippi, the home of the temple of Pan. In this pagan place, Jesus asks his disciples who they believe he is. Peter gives the great confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus begins with that confession to reveal his destination of sacrifice in Jerusalem. Peter doesn’t want Jesus to talk about death and tragedy, but Jesus assures all of the disciples that not only is his life a life meant for sacrifice, but so are their lives meant to be denied to the world, committed to God and given on their crosses for the world.
Less than a week after Jesus received the confession from his apostles, his heavenly Father affirms him in the Transfiguration. As Jesus is turning from successful ministry toward increasing opposition and rejection, those in heaven and earth who believe in him speak up. Jesus predicts his death again. We can almost see the torches in the distance. We can almost hear the shrill soprano of the whip whistling through the air toward his back.
Matthew reminds us that we are often powerless because our faith is weak. More faith; more power. We need to think about this equation.
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