Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary: Matthew
Ver. 24. If any man will come. St. Chrysostom, Euthymius, and Theophylactus, shew that free will is confirmed by these words. Do not expect, O Peter, that since you have confessed me to be the Son of God, you are immediately to be crowned, as if this were sufficient for salvation, and that the rest of your days may be spent in idleness and pleasure. For, although by my power, as Son of God, I could free you from every danger and trouble, yet this I will not do for your sake, that you may yourself contribute to your glory, and become the more illustrious. (St. Chrysostom, hom. lvi.)
Ver. 25. Whosoever will save his life. Literally, his soul. In the style of the Scriptures, the word soul is sometimes put for the life of the body, sometimes for the whole man. (Witham) --- Whosoever acts against duty and conscience to save the life of his body, shall lose eternal life; and whoever makes the sacrifice of his life, or the comforts and conveniences of life for conscience sake, shall be rewarded with life eternal.
Ver. 26. And lose his own soul. Christ seems in these words to pass from the life of the body to that of the soul. (Witham)
Ver. 27. Shall come in the glory. Jesus Christ wishing to shew his disciples the greatness of his glory at his future coming, reveals to them in this life as much as it was possible for them to comprehend, purposely to strengthen them against the scandal of his ignominious death. (St. Chrysostom)
Ver. 28. Till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. Some expound this, as fulfilled at his transfiguration, which follows in the next chapter. Others understand it of the glory of Christ, and of his Church, after his resurrection and ascension, when he should be owned for Redeemer of the world: and this state of the Christian Church might be called the kingdom of Christ. (Witham) --- This promise of a transitory view of his glory he makes, to prove that he should one day come in all the glory of his Father, to judge each man according to his works: not according to his mercy, or their faith, but according to their works. (St. Augustine, de verb. apos. serm. 35.) --- Again, asks St. Augustine, how could our Saviour reward every one according to his works, if there were no free will? (lib. ii. chap. 4. 5. 8, de act. cum Fœlic. Manich.) (Bristow)
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[1] Ver. 16. Tu es Christus, Filius Dei vivi. o christos o uios tou theou. Where the Greek articles seem significant.
[2] Ver. 18. St. Augustine, serm. 13, de Verbis Domini, in the new edit. serm. 76. t. v. p. 415, expounds these words super hanc Petram, i.e. super hanc Petram, quam confessus es, super meipsum. See also tract. 24. in Joan, t. iii. p. 822. But he elsewhere gave the common interpretation, as he says, lib. i. Retrac. and in Psal. lxix. Petrus, qui paulo ante Christum confessus erat filium Dei, & in illa Confessione appellatus erat Petra, super quam fabrificatur Ecclesia, &c. See St. Jerome on this place, lib. iii. p. 97. ædificabo (inquit Christus) super te Ecclesiam meam. (St. Chrysostom, hom. lv. in Matt. &c.)
[3] Ver. 22. Increpare epitiman, by saying absit a te Domine, ileos soi, propitius sit tibi Deus, &c.
[4] Ver. 23. Vade post me, upage opiso mou.
Bible Text & Cross-references:
Christ refuses to shew the Pharisees a sign from heaven. Peter's confession is rewarded. He is rebuked for opposing Christ's passion. All his followers must deny themselves.
1 And *there came to him the Pharisees and Sadducees, tempting: and they asked him to shew them a sign from heaven.
2 But he answered and said to them: *When it is evening, you say: It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.
3 And in the morning: To-day there will be a storm, for the sky is red and lowering.
4 You know then how to discern the face of the sky: and can you not know the signs of the times?* A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign: and a sign shall not be given it, **but the sign of Jonas the prophet. And he left them and went away.
5 And when his disciples were come over the water, they had forgotten to take bread.
6 And he said to them: *Take heed, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and Sadducees.
7 But they thought within themselves, saying: Because we have taken no bread.
8 And Jesus knowing it, said: Why do you think within yourselves, O ye of little faith, because you have no bread?
9 Do you not yet understand, neither do you remember *the five loaves among the five thousand men, and how many baskets you took up?
10 *Nor the seven loaves, among the four thousand men, and how many baskets you took up?
11 Why do you not understand that it was not concerning the bread I said to you: Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and Sadducees?
12 Then they understood that he said not that they should beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees, and Sadducees.
13 *And Jesus came into the parts of Cæsarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is?
14 But they said: *Some John the Baptist, and others Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am.
16 Simon Peter answering said: *Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father, who is in heaven.
18 *And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 *And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. **And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.
20 Then he commanded his disciples, that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.
21 From that time forth Jesus began to shew to his disciples, that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the ancients and the Scribes, and chief priests, and be put to death, and the third day rise again.
22 And Peter taking him, began to rebuke him, saying: Lord, be it far from thee; this shall not be unto thee.
23 But he turning, said to Peter: *Go after me, Satan, thou art a scandal unto me: because thou dost not relish the things that are of God, but the things that are of men.
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples: *If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 *For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it.
26 For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels: *and then will he render to every man according to his works.
28 Amen, I say to you, *there are some of them standing here, who shall not taste death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
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*
1: about the year A.D. 32.; Mark viii. 11. 26.
2: Luke xii. 54.
4: Matthew xii. 39. --- ** Jonas ii. 1.
6: Mark viii. 15.; Luke xii. 1.
13: Mark viii. 27.
14: Mark viii. 28.; Luke xix. 9.
16: John vi. 70.
18: John xii. 42.
19: Isaias xxii. 22. --- ** John xx. 23.
23: Mark viii. 33.
24: Matthew x. 38.; Luke ix. 23. and xiv. 27.
25: Luke xvii. 33.; John xii. 25.
27: Acts xvii. 31.; Romans ii. 6.
28: Mark viii. 39.; Luke ix. 28.