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25. The Disciples'
Avowal.
When the people saw
how Jesus had wonderfully refreshed and satisfied them with so few means,
they said, ‘Truly this is the prophet who is to come into the world.’
Yes, they foolishly wanted to make him king. But he withdrew from them
and went up on a mountain, where he talked with God, for his kingdom is
not of this world.
But the next day in Capernaum, when Jesus again exhorted them to a way
of thinking that was pleasing to God, some again said that it was not
enough that he had fed them with earthly bread: Moses had given their
fathers bread from heaven. Such excuses are sought by people who are not
serious about being godly. They want to be pious for a reward, not out
of love and trust.
But Jesus spoke to them the mysterious word: ‘Your fathers ate the manna
in the desert and died. I am the bread of life that comes from heaven.’
At that time, many of his followers left him and no longer walked with
him. Then the Lord said to his disciples: ‘Do you also want to go away
from me?’ Peter answered him: ‘Lord, where shall we go? You have words
of eternal life, and we have believed and recognised that you are the
Christ, the Son of the living God.’ The more you know Jesus, the less
you want to be unfaithful to him. Jesus answered them: ‘Did I not choose
you twelve, and one of you is a devil?’ He was referring to Judas
Iscariot.
On another occasion he asked them, ‘What do people take me for? Who do
they say that the Son of Man is?’ They said, ‘Some say that you are John
the Baptist, others that you are Elijah, and still others that you are
one of the prophets of old.’ - But John had been beheaded. Who could
have mistaken him for John? Answer: An evil conscience. Herod was afraid
and said, ‘It is John the Baptist whom I beheaded. That is why he does
such deeds.’ An evil conscience and a secret fear of the dead like to go
together. A clear conscience has nothing to fear from anyone, not even
from the living, still less from the dead. Jesus went on to ask his
disciples: ‘Who do you say that I am?’ Peter said again: ‘You are the
Christ, the Son of the living God.’
At that time Jesus also foretold his disciples his future fate, that he
would have to go to Jerusalem and suffer much at the hands of the chief
priests and scribes and be killed and rise again on the third day.
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