Many of Jesus’ followers, (not the apostles), deserted Him because they found His teachings to be too radical and or / obtuse (see Have You Eaten the Flesh and Drank of the Blood?).

            Their difficulties in comprehension were due to their hardened hearts and their refusal to exercise faith.

         Simultaneously, those who doubted Jesus the most, the Pharisees, came to Him again, to manipulate Him into violating Mosaic Law, which would be blasphemy. For example, one of them approached Christ and asked a question:

So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, “Why don’t your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.” Mk. 7:5 NLT

            The Pharisees had also invented litanies for how to eat, how to use and clean cooking utensils, and for discerning the proper place to sit at a table. These inventions were mandated for one to remain ‘pure.’ Here, they were to discern whether Jesus was teaching the apostles to disobey Pharisaical law. In response, He lambastes them:

“Isaiah prophesied correctly (Is. 29:13) about you hypocrites, as it is written:

This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me.

They worship me in vain,

teaching as doctrine human commands.

Abandoning the command of God, you hold onto human traditions…You have a fine way of invalidating God’s command in order to set up your tradition!” Mk. 7:6 – 9. CSB

            The apostle Paul addressed this subject as well:

So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.

You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world…?  Col. 16, 17 & 20. NLT

            Jesus was alluding to the worthlessness of their traditions.

         The Pharisees claimed that they spoke for God, when in fact, they were modifying His word, which is verboten to Jehovah:

“You must not add anything to what I command you or take away from it, so that you may keep the commands of the LORD your God I am giving you.” Dt. 4:2 CSB

            There are consequences for the people who comply with the Pharisees or others like them:

This is what the LORD says, “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn away from the LORD. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future…But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water.” Jer. 17:5 – 8. NLT

         Christ then rips the Pharisees with another example:

“For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ (Ex. 20:12) and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ (Ex. 20:17).

“But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”  Mk. 7:10 – 13. NLT

            To paraphrase, the Pharisees often laid claim to a man’s wages for the Temple, rather than let him care for his parents if they needed it.

            Further vilifying the Pharisees, Jesus calls out to a crown of people and tells them to gather around Him as He has His final say about this matter:

“It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.” Mk. 7:15 NLT

         Afterwards, the apostles took Jesus to a nearby house and asked Him to clarify what He had just said to the crowd:

“Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.)

“It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” Mk.7:18-23. NLT

(We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind. Is. 64:6 NLT)

            The devil cannot force you to do anything. He can only suggest. Thus, if you transgress the word of God, you are doing it of your own free will. You are responsible for your actions…

         Jesus then traveled to the region of Phoenicia (modern-day Lebanon). It was only 1 of 2 trips that He ever made outside of Israel. There, a Phoenician woman approach Him and begged Him to cast a demon out of her daughter. He replied:

“I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep – the people of Israel.” Mt. 15:24 NLT

            The Gentile woman was aware of this but was undeterred due to her faith in Christ. Unlike the lies that spew forth from the Jewish Pharisees, she knew the TRUTH. The Phoenician worshipped Jesus and continued to plead for her daughter.

            Jesus repeats His mandate from His Father, but from a different angle:

“It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” Mt. 15:26 NLT

            Yet, the woman persisted in her prayer and pleas, (required for effective prayer), and she replied:

“That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their master’s table.” Mt. 15:27 NLT

            We can see that Christ is moved by her entreaty by listening to His response:

“Dear woman,’ Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed. Mt. 15:28 NLT

            Afterwards, Jesus traveled to His second Gentile destination – the Decapolis, which was a region consisting of 10 cities spread across the countries of Jordan, Palestine, and Syria.

            During His travels, a crowd, 4000 in number, brought their sick, and all were healed. These Gentiles glorified Jehovah; and isn’t that why Christ came?

            The crowd followed Him for 3 days without food. Jesus took 7 loaves of bread and fed the 4000.

         Jesus and His apostles returned to the region of Galilee, only to be accosted once more by the Pharisees. They asked Him for a supernatural sign to prove that He is the Messiah. He answered the question similarly as when they had asked Him in an earlier encounter (Mt. 12:39):

“Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Mt. 16:4 NLT

            He is referring to His upcoming 3-day miracle of His death and resurrection.

         Next, Christ and the boys set sail for the opposite shore of the Sea of Galilee, whereupon He healed a blind man. Then they traveled onto the district of Caesarea Philippi, located in the northernmost aspect of Israel. When they arrived, Jesus asked His apostles to tell Him who the people thought He was. They replied:

“Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Mt. 16:14 CSB

Then, he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Mt. 16:15 NLT

            Peter answers:

“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Mt. 16:16 NLT

            Jesus responds:

“You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.

“And I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” Mt. 16:17 – 19. NLT

            What Jesus is saying to Peter is that he could not have divined His true nature unless God opened his spiritual sight. He is also exercising a little wordplay with Peter’s name. His full name was Simon Peter. ‘Peter’ is translated from the Greek word ‘petros,’ meaning ‘rock.’

         Jesus is alluding to Peter’s rock-like faith, the kind of foundational faith He will build His church upon. (This is the first time the word ‘church’ is used in the Bible. It is interpreted from the Greek ekklesia, meaning a ‘Christian assembly.’)

            What Jesus is not saying, is that Peter has a more special relationship with Him as opposed to the other apostles. They all (except for Judas Iscariot) has equal authority in the church. Thus, all held the keys to the Kingdom.

            You too can hold your key. It’s always about the faith…

            Goodnight and God bless.