July 15th, 2023

This Sunday is what is known by many as the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost. And this Sunday’s Gospel Reading jumps to Matthew 13[:1-9, 18-23]. The appointed readings are about to catch up with where we are in these writings. Currently we are just a little farther ahead, in chapter fifteen.

Last week’s focus for these writings contained a good portion of Matthew 15:[1-31], and what follows is a somewhat-literal translation of the rest of that chapter, along with some of the next chapter as well [15:32-16:20]. Those subjects and verbs that are in bold print are historical presents, when the past tense is expected but the present tense is given. Recently those historical presents have been quite negative and have pointed to the heightened tension between Jesus and the religious leaders of his day. 

There are three historical presents within the section below. The last two historical presents both are by Jesus, and both have him asking questions. The question of who Jesus is seems to be significantly more important than how many breads the disciples have. The text seems to be leading the reader or listener to contemplate what it means for Jesus to be the christened one, the Christ. 

Now the Jesus, having called toward the disciples of him, he said, “I am compassionate upon the crowd, because already days, three, they remain toward me, and not they have anything they may eat; and to dismiss them hungry, not I want, lest they faint in the way.”

And they say to him, the disciples, “From where, for us, in a desert, breads, so many, so as to satisfy a crowd such as this?”

And he says to them, the Jesus, “How many breads have you?”

Now they said, “Seven, and a few small fishes.” And having commanded the crowd to recline on the ground, he took the seven breads and the fishes and, giving thanks, he broke and gave to the disciples, now the disciples to the crowds. And they ate, all, and they were satisfied. And the excess of the fragments they took, seven baskets full. Now the ones eating were four thousand men, apart from women and children. And having dismissed the crowds, he went away into the boat, and he came into the borders of Magadan.

And, approaching, the Pharisees and Sadducees, tempting, they asked of him a sign from the heaven to show to them. Now he, answering, said to them, “Evening happening, you say, ‘Good weather, for it is red, the heaven. And in the morning, today, stormy weather, for it is red, being dark, the heaven.’ On the one hand, the face of the heaven you know to discern, but on the other hand, the signs of the times you not are able. A generation, evil and adulterous, a sign it seeks out, and a sign, not it will be given to it, except the sign of Jonah.” And leaving them, he went away.

And coming, the disciples, into the other side, they forgot breads to take, now the Jesus said to them, “See and beware from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 

Now they reasoned in themselves, saying, “Breads not we took.”

Now, knowing, the Jesus said, “Why reason in yourselves, few-faiths, that breads, not you have? Not yet, you understand, neither you remember the five breads of the five thousand and how many baskets we took? Neither the seven breads of the four thousand, and how many other hampers you took? How not you understand that not concerning breads I said to you? Now beware from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that not he said to beware from the leaven of the breads, but on the contrary, from the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Now coming, the Jesus, into the parts of Caesarea of the Philippi, he questioned the disciples of him, saying, “Whom they say, the men, to be the Son of the Man?” 

Now, they said, “The ones, on the one hand, John the Baptist, now others, on the other hand, Elijah, now others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

He says to them, “Now you, who, me, you say to be?”

Now, answering, Simon Peter said, “You, yourself, are the Christ, the Son of the God of the living.”

Now, answering, the Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, because flesh and blood not has revealed to you, but on the contrary, the Father of me, the One in the heavens. Now also to you I am saying that you, yourself, are Peter, and upon this, the rock, I will build of me the Church, and gates of Hades not will prevail against it. I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatever you bind upon the earth it will be, having been bound in the heavens, and whatever you loose upon the earth it will be, having been loosed in the heavens.” Then he ordered the disciples that to no one they should say that he, himself, is the Christ.
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