Matthew 16  Once again the Pharisees and Sadducees come to Jesus seeking a sign.  Once again He refuses to be manipulated and repeats His answer that they will only be given the "sign of Jonah".

Jesus tells his disciples to "Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  The disciples get distracted by the fact that they forget to bring bread with them.  Jesus considers this a lack of faith and understanding.  They worried about bread when they had witnessed Him feed the multitudes with a few loaves!  What was more important than bread?  Truth!  The religious leaders were missing the Word of Life... and we must all beware of being led astray by those who speak falsely.

Jesus goes further into this with His question about who people say that He is.  Others were saying that He was a prophet.. a reincarnation, if you will, of Elijah or Jeremiah, or even John the Baptist.
But, when He asks, " But who do you say I am?"  Peter gets it right, " Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Only by the revelation of the Father could Peter know this, Jesus tells them...
"Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."  

In Matthew 11 Jesus had taught them this truth, " All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  Finally, Peter understood.  It was a step in the right direction.  He wouldn't truly get it until later, but it was enough for Jesus to declare him to be a "rock".... bedrock, a foundation, for the building of His church.

Jesus then begins to set the stage for another Truth that the disciples would need to grasp - that He would be crucified, buried, and raised again.  Peter takes 2 steps back it appears.  He had just been given the  keys of the kingdom... and the first thing he wants to do is stop what God had planned since before the foundation of the world!

Discipleship is hard.. it is costly, Jesus tells His followers.  It means denying yourself and what you want.  It means taking up a cross, losing your life, and putting it all on the line for Jesus.  All the world offers is not as valuable as the soul, Jesus reveals.  To stand before the Throne of God on that great day, nothing else will matter except this... did we give Him our life?

Father in heaven, open our eyes to see and hearts to receive Your Word of life.  Let us not be distracted by the cares of this world.  Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God - who alone can reveal the Father to us - come and draw us nearer.  Reveal Yourself to us in new ways, that we might worship You more and give You glory and praise with all our hearts and minds and strength. Amen.