ACC ~ Luke 9 v18 - 22

OVERVIEW:

Peter is the first disciple; in fact, he is the first human being in the Gospel to make the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. The Lord is forcing the disciples to sort out the rumors that are floating among the crowds. And the light finally dawns on Peter that he is greater than all the prophets because he is “the Christ of God,” and he confesses that this Jesus is the Christ who is Savior of all (CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA). To confess Jesus as the Christ is to confess the faith, for this is a confession of him as God, the incarnate one, the crucified and resurrected one (AMBROSE). The great miracle of the feeding of the five thousand elicits Peter’s confession that Jesus is “the Christ of God” (CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA). The disciples are to keep secret the fact that the Messiah must suffer and die, then rise because of the scandal of the passion (AMBROSE). It is only after the resurrection that they are to proclaim the passion and resurrection of Jesus as Jesus’ final words to his disciples command (CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA).

9:18-20 | The Confession of Peter

JESUS’ QUESTION FORCES THE DISCIPLES TO SORT OUT THE RUMORS

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: You see the skillfulness of the question. He did not at once say, “Who do you say that I am?” He refers to the rumor of those that were outside their company. Then, having rejected it and shown it unsound, he might bring them back to the true opinion. It happened that way. When the disciples had said, “Some, John the Baptist, and others, Elijah, and others, that some prophet of those in old time has risen up,” he said to them, “But you, who do you say that I am?” Oh! how full of meaning is that word you! He separates them from all others, that they may also avoid the opinions of others. In this way, they will not conceive an unworthy idea about him or entertain confused and wavering thoughts. Then they will not also imagine that John had risen again, or one of the prophets. “You,” he says, “who have been chosen,” who by my decree have been called to the apostleship, who are the witnesses of my miracles. Who do you say that I am?” COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 49. [1]

[1] CGSL 218**.

PETER CONFESSES JESUS TO BE THE SAVIOR OF ALL

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: There are many who have been called Christ, from having in various ways been anointed by God. Some have been anointed as kings. Some have been anointed as prophets. They have been so called because they have been anointed. But he who is God the Father’s Christ is One, and One only. Not as though we are christs, and not God’s christs, belonging to some other person. There is only one Christ, because he and he alone has as his Father God who is in heaven. Since, therefore, most wise Peter, confessing the faith correctly and without error, said, “the Christ of God,” it is plain that Peter referred to Jesus as God. For Peter confessed Jesus to be God’s sole Christ, distinguishing him from those to whom the appellation generally belongs. For though he be by nature God and shone forth inexpressibly from God the Father as his only-begotten Word, yet he became flesh according to the Scripture. COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 49. [1]

[1] CGSL 218-19**.

TO CONFESS JESUS AS THE CHRIST IS TO CONFESS THE FAITH

AMBROSE: Although the other apostles know, yet Peter answers for them all, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” [1] Thus he who manifested both the nature and the name, in whom is the sum of the virtues, encompassed all things. Do we also ask questions about the generation of God, when Paul has judged that he knows nothing, save Christ Jesus and him crucified, and Peter thought nothing else should be confessed, save that he is the Son of God? We also scrutinize when and how he was born and how great he is in the contemplation of human weakness. Paul knew that therein was a stumbling block of a question, rather than the increase of edification, and therefore he judged that he knew nothing but Christ Jesus. Peter knew that all things are in the Son of God, for the Father has given all things to the Son. [2] EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 6.93. [3]

[1] Mt 16:16.

[2] Jn 3:35.

[3] EHG 227*.

FEEDING OF FIVE THOUSAND PROMPTS PETER’S CONFESSION

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: It came to pass that he was alone, praying. His disciples were with him. He asked them, “Whom do the multitudes say that I am?” Now the first thing we have to examine is what it was which led our Lord Jesus Christ to propose to the holy apostles this question or inquiry. No word or deed of his is either at an unseasonable time or without a fitting reason. Rather, he does all things wisely and in their season. What, therefore, do we say, or what suitable explanation do we find for his present acts? He had fed a vast multitude of five thousand men in the desert. How did he feed them? With five loaves! Breaking two small fish into morsels with them! These so multiplied out of nothing that twelve baskets of fragments even were taken up. The blessed disciples, therefore, were astonished as well as the multitudes, and saw by what had been wrought, that he is in truth God and the Son of God. COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 49. [1]

[1] CGSL 217*.

9:21-22 | The Prediction of the Passion and Resurrection

SILENCE COMMANDED OF THE DISCIPLES

AMBROSE: The Lord Jesus Christ was at first unwilling to be extolled, lest any murmuring arise. He rebuked his disciples, lest they say this to anyone, because the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. Perhaps he added this because the Lord knew that even the disciples would believe with difficulty in his passion and resurrection. Therefore he preferred to be the defender of his own passion and resurrection, so that faith would be born of action, and not discord of hearsay. Thus Christ refused to boast but preferred to seem unimportant in order to undergo his passion. Do you boast, who are low born? Must you walk the same path that Christ walked, which he himself walked? This is the recognition of him, this is the imitation of him through obscurity and a good reputation, [1] so that you may glory in the cross as he was glorified. Thus Paul walked and therefore glories, saying, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” [2] EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 6.99-100. [3]

[1] See 2 Cor 6:8.

[2] Gal 6:14.

[3] EHG 230-31**.

SILENCE ABOUT JESUS’ PASSION UNTIL AFTER THE RESURRECTION

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: When the disciple Peter had professed his faith, Jesus charged them, it says, and commanded them to tell it to no one. “For the Son of man,” he said, “is about to suffer many things, and be rejected, and killed, and the third day he shall rise again.” Wasn’t it the duty of disciples to proclaim him everywhere? This was the very business of those appointed by him to the apostleship. But, as the sacred Scripture says, “There is a time for everything.” [1] There were things yet unfulfilled which must also be included in their preaching about him. They must also proclaim the cross, the passion, and the death in the flesh. They must preach the resurrection of the dead, that great and truly glorious sign by which testimony is borne him that the Emmanuel is truly God and by nature the Son of God the Father. He utterly abolished death and wiped out destruction. He robbed hell, and overthrew the tyranny of the enemy. He took away the sin of the world, opened the gates above to the dwellers upon earth, and united earth to heaven. These things proved him to be, as I said, in truth God. He commanded them, therefore, to guard the mystery by a seasonable silence until the whole plan of the dispensation should arrive at a suitable conclusion. COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 49. [2]

[1] Eccles 3:1.

[2] CGSL 221**.