doubly enclosed behind lips and teeth! “If any man think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, this man’s religion is vain” (James i, 26).
Application. Jesus forbade any talk about His miracle, and desired to stop all tokens of honour paid to Him. You do just the contrary. If you have done any good work, you let all the town know it. Follow our Lord’s example, and say nothing without necessity that tends to your own credit.
Chapter XXXVI.
JESUS PROMISES PETER THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
[Mat. 16, 13 — 20. Mark 8, 27 — 30. Luke 9, 18 — 21.]
BEING come to the neighbourhood of Caesarea Philippi (Fig. 77) [1] Jesus asked[2] His apostles, as they went along, who the people said that He was. They replied: “Some [3], John the Baptist, others, Elias, and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.”[4] Wishing to hear their own opinion, or, rather, to draw from them a profession of faith, He asked: “But whom do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered[5]: “Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him: “Blessed[6] art thou, Simon Bar-
- ↑ Casarea Philippi. A heathen city about thirty miles to the north of the Sea of Galilee.
- ↑ Asked. After He had spent some time in prayer (Luke 9, 18), as He was wont to do before He took any important step.
- ↑ Some. Say Thou art &c.
- ↑ One of the prophets. The people quite believed that Jesus was one of the prophets, risen from the dead, and a precursor of the Messias. That He could be the Messias Himself did not occur to them, in spite of His assertions to that effect, supported as they were by miracles; for they utterly refused to admit the idea that the Messias could come in poverty and humility. After the apostles had thus truthfully related the erroneous opinions of the Jews, our Lord startled them by His earnest and significant question: “But whom do you say that I am?’*
- ↑ Blessed. Our Lord called Simon “blessed” in the strongest sense of the word, as it is applied to the blessed in heaven; because faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the source of eternal life. Simon did not obtain this faith by flesh and blood, that is to say through the medium of his human senses, which had seen and recognised our Lord’s miracles, nor yet by means of his human reason, but entirely by the grace of God, which had enlarged and enlightened his heart.
- ↑ Blessed. Our Lord called Simon “blessed” in the strongest sense of the word, as it is applied to the blessed in heaven; because faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the source of eternal life. Simon did not obtain this faith by flesh and blood, that is to say through the medium of his human senses, which had seen and recognised our Lord’s miracles, nor yet by means of his human reason, but entirely by the grace of God, which had enlarged and enlightened his heart.
