ii. IVideninr) Breach tnith the Pharisees. — More than one incident occurs in tliis period which points to the increasing tension of the rela- tions between Jesus and the I'harisees (Mk 8"-'''). i5ut the decisive passage is .Mk 7'-'-'ll, the severity of which anticipates the denunciations of the last I'assover. In this Jesus cuts away root and branch of the Pharisaic traditions and exposes their essential immorality. Kroni this time onwards the antagonism is open and declared.
iii. The Climax <if Fiiith (tmoiKj the Tirelre ; St. Peter's Vimfessiiin. — W'e liavc seen how the en- thusia-sin of the multitudes reached its climax after the Feeding of the Five 'I'liousand, but did not recover from the rebuff which it then received, and from that time more or less collapsed, until it flamed up for a moment at the triumphal entry. 'I'he Twelve were in a lietter position to enter into the mind of their M.aster, and it was but n.atural that they should be more steadfastly attached to ills person, lience their faith survived the shocks which it was continually receiving, and St. I'eter gave the highest expression which it had yet re- ceived, when, in reply to a direct (picstion, he exclaimed, 'Thou art the Christ [the .Son of the Living God]' (Mt KSis-^'ji). Je.sus marke<l His sense of the significance of the confession by words of warm commendation. He attributes it, indeed, to a direct inspiration from Heaven. The value of the confession .stands out all the more clearly when it is compared with the doubts of the Baptist (see above, p. (ilo). We are not to suppose that St. I'eler had by any inrans as yet a full conception of all that was implied in Ids own words. He SI ill did not understand what manner of Messiah lie was confessing ; but his merit was, that in spite of the rude shocks which his faith had been re- ceiving, and in spite of all that wa-s paradoxical and enigmatical in the teaching and actions of liis Master, he saw through his perplexities tlie gleams of a nature which transceiidetl his experi- ence, and he was willing to take upon trust wliat he could not comprehend.
It w(Md4l be tint of place to attemjit here to discuss the con- flicting interpretations of the blessing pronounce«l upon St. IN'ter. We can only say that althougli it Is not mleouate to explain the blessing as pronouni-inl upon the confession and not upon St. I'eter himself, It Is nevertheless distinctly pro- nounced upitn St. I'eter at con/c*«iii(/. It Is in the fact that there Is at last one who, In the face of all dllllcultles, recog- nizes from his heart that .lesus is what He Is, that the first stone, as it were, of the t'liurcb is laid ; other stones will bo itullt upon an<l around It. and the *sll(lce will rise day by day, i.ut the beginnltig «»c<-urs but oUi'e, and the beglntdng i»f liie t hrlstlan Church nccurrcd then. It is not to detract from the merit of St. Telcr which so far a> the buililing up of the Vhureh is concerned was as high as human merit c<nd<l be - If tve itit,>rpret the blessing upon him lu the light of I Co :to.
The Church has but one fourKlation, in the strict sense, .lesu- ChrisT. It was |>recisely to this that St. Peter's confession pointed. Itul that confession was the lirst of all like confessions : and in that respect might well be described as the lirsl block of stone built into the edlHee.
iv. 'Hie Culminating Point in the Missionary Labours of Jesus. — God seeth not as man .seeth. To the average observer, even to one who was acquainted with St. Peter's confe.s.sion, it would seem to be the solitary point of light in the midst of disappointment and failure. A retrospect of tlie (ialihean ministry .seemed to show little but haril-heartedness, ingratitude, and unbelief (Jn 1'2''-"'). Our Lord Himself can oidy denounce woe upon the cities whicli enjoyed most of His presence (Mt lisu-s-tll). And yet about the same time two sayings are recorded which mark a deep inward consciousness of success. The minisli-y which might seem to be in vain was not really in vain, but potential and in promise; to the eye which saw into the future as well as into the present, and which looked into the inmost coun.sels of the Father, the crisis might even be regarded as past. (Jne of these sayings is Lk 10'^. The success of the disciples in ca.sting out demons draws from .lesus tlie remark that the power of the prince of darkness is broken. And about the .same time, as if ingratitude and opposition counted for nothing. He pours out His thanks to the Father: ' I th.ank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide the.se things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them nnto babes : yea. Father, for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight' (Mt ll"f|l). The next ver.se in both (iospels contains the clearest expression in the Synoptics of that sense of oneness with the Father which is brought out so pointedly in .In. And the verses which follow in JIt are th.at wonderful invitation : 'Come unto ine,' etc. He who understands this grouji of sayings has found his way to the heart of Christianity.