THE HOLIESTCommentaries on St. Matthew
Tablet Twenty-Six
Chapter 16
"The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven." (Matthew 16:1)
<1>Again people wanted him to show them signs from heaven as did the Prophets of old. But with all these signs those Prophets showed them, still they did not follow their teachings. Therefore, what was the point for Esa to do the same?
"He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.""And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" (Matthew 16:2-3)
<2>Instead of meditating on and contemplating the evidence that the coming of the Messiah was imminent, and then listening to Esa's teachings and seeing the truth behind them, they were resisting him and the truth he had brought. <3>Even with all his miracles and truth he taught, they still wanted more evidence. In reality most humans do not want to hear the truth. Many love darkness and are blinded by The Light.
"A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed." (Matthew 16:4)
<4>Only a wicked people who truly do not want to see the truth ask for signs from God. Those who are ready to receive the truth with an open heart see His signs everywhere. <5>Also again the only thing that was given by Esa to them as the sign of his messiahship was the sign of the Prophet Jonas. That is, as described before, he would stay in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights, and then would come out of it, as Prophet Jonas remained in the belly of a big fish for three days and three nights.
"And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread."Then Esa said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." (Matthew 16:5-6)
<6>Leaven is like sin, when it is added to human life it inflates and increases more and more. <7>Also the hate and resentment of the Pharisees and Sadducees were inflating toward them, because of their own dirty spirits.
"And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.""Which when Esa perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?"
"Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?"
"Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?"
"How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?"
"Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." (Matthew 16:7-12)
<8>But his disciples could not understand this simple truth he told them and thought he was blaming them as to why they had not brought any bread. Esa perceived their thoughts and again was unhappy about why they did not understand him. <9>He actually did not need bread, as he himself had declared, "I have meat to eat that ye know not of" (John 4:32). So he did not need human bread to live on.
<10>Also he had fed a great multitude with a few loaves, so he could feed his disciples too. But because of their little faith they did not trust him and were always afraid about their physiological needs. So they were earthbound and could not think about higher things. Only after he explained what he meant by the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees did they understand that he was referring to "the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."
<11>This shows how the disciples of a Prophet (Messiah, teacher, etc.) can misunderstand their teacher and misinterpret His Revelations. <12>That is why we should not put our trust on the teachings and interpretations of the disciples of a Prophet, but contemplate His direct Words and rely on God to understand them, "Ask and ye shall receive,..." (Matthew 7:7). The disciples might mislead us from the truth, and the truth of the Prophet might become lost, as it has happened in the past.
"When Esa came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?""And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets."
"He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?"
"And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
"And Esa answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 16:13-17)
<13>Esa wanted to know that at least his disciples knew who he was. So he asked them first who the people thought he was. They said that they think he is John the Baptist who has been resurrected, or one of the Prophets. <14>Then he asked his disciples who they thought he was. At least Peter realized that he was the Christ, the Anointed One who everyone was expecting to come.
<15>He wanted to make sure that at least his disciples knew who he was, because the end of his ministry was near. He wanted to see that his disciples had realized who he was. When Peter declared it, Christ was so joyful and blessed him because of this realization. <16>If Peter had remained in his lower nature, "flesh and blood," he could not have seen this truth. But because he had gone out of his lower nature, he could see the higher realities and therefore God revealed to him this truth, "but my Father which is in heaven."
"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18)
<17>The name "Peter" means "stone," the steadfast. Because he had reached a higher consciousness, he was chosen as the head of his disciples, their leader who would build Esa's church. <18>That is the basic requirement for the leaders of men. Only those who have overcome their lower natures and have reached their higher selves are worthy to be chosen as leaders for others.
"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19)
<19>Those who reach their higher selves will be given the key to enter into Pure Consciousness, "kingdom of heaven," and he who is in Pure Consciousness will receive all the powers on earth and in heaven.
"Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Christ [The Word (/
)]." (Matthew 16:20)
<20>Now he was sure that his disciples knew he was Christ. It was enough for the time being, so he could continue the rest of his ministry to the end and he knew the world would realize that he was the Christ through his disciples.
"From that time forth began Esa to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day." (Matthew 16:21)
<21>After he was sure that his disciples knew who he was, he revealed the last part of his mission, which was to be killed and rise again after three days. <22>The very meaning of being crucified and rising again is that whoever wants to be risen (resurrected) to his higher self has to crucify his lower self (false-ego, lower nature). Only then will he be born again. This was as he taught that one has to be born again.
<23>The lower nature is made up of the lower propensities in the first three chakras: excess fear for survival, temptation, excess attraction to the external world, unhealthy sexual desires, and hunger for power and prestige to satisfy the lower desires (physiological and safety). Also, in reference to staying in the earth for three days, each day can be a symbol of overcoming the lower propensities of one chakra. <24>Furthermore, the sign (
) is the third sign in our Greatest Sign, and it is the third church (Rev. chapter 2) of the seven churches.
<25>All of these clearly indicate where Christ's teaching stands in history and why it is so celebrated by all, because going from the lower nature to the higher self is the first and most celebrated point in spiritual progress.
"Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.""But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." (Matthew 16:22-23)
<26>Peter, who had received his blessings, still did not understand that what he said should happen, and like a regular person who becomes very unhappy about the death of a dear one and thinks the physical death is the end of human life, started to show his love in such a human fleshly way. But Esa rebuked him and said he was in his lower nature (satan) that he talked like a regular unspiritual man.
<27>If Peter was in his higher self, he would have known that it was the desire of the Lord to happen, and whatever He desires to happen is good.
"Then said Esa unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." (Matthew 16:24)
<28>That is the way of Christ. Those who want to be born again should crucify their lower natures, "deny himself, and take up his cross," so that they might be born again to their higher selves. That is the way of the truth, "I am the way and the truth." Only such a person is the true follower of Christ, "and follow me," the way, the truth.
"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 16:25)
<29>Those who save their false egos by being selfish and self-centered will lose the opportunity to go to their higher selves. But those who crucify their false egos for the sake of their higher selves or truth, "my sake," will be born again and will find everlasting life.
"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26)
<30>The Soul is the only thing that is ours. Even our bodies are not ours, as they will be departed from us. <31>So what gain can it be if the only thing that is truly ours is lost in the process of gaining things which are transitory and are not ours, "world?"
<32>That is why The Goal Of The Life Is To Be(come) Divine. Only by beautifying and progressing spiritually and using our bodies and this universe for this purpose, will we gain the true profit from our lives. <33>The body, wealth, and all illusions of this world will pass, but even the slightest spiritual progress will remain with us forever, and that is the true gain.
"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." (Matthew 16:27)
<34>No spiritual progress is in vain, but will be rewarded accordingly.
"Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." (Matthew 16:28)
<35>There were some with Esa who were in their higher selves and would stay there. <36>They would never go back to their lower natures, "shall not taste of death [spiritual death]," until eventually "they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." They also will eventually reach Pure Consciousness, and the Kingdom of God will come to them and to the earth through them.