Thepfulhouvi solo
It was about the final year of his Ministry, around 33-34 AD, just after Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch beheaded John the Baptist and Jesus left Capernaum-Bethzaida Area of Galilee and went to the high mountain t region of Israel -Caesarea-Philip- (Mt 16:13, Mk 8:27, Lk 9:20) towards snow bound Mount Harmon the Northernmost Point of the Land.
After 6 days of Journey on foot, Jesus asked his disciples on the Road: "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They said that people say different things; some say Elijah the Prophet, some say John the Baptist, others say 'one of the Prophets'. Then Jesus pointedly asked them: "Who do you say I am" Simon Peter replied: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God". Jesus replied: "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you upon this rock I will build my Church"
Peter must have felt happy to hear Jesus say it in front of the other disciples and he must have felt much enthusiastically bolder. And as they were on their way, Jesus began to plainly tell them closely that soon he must go down far South to Jerusalem in Judea and die "at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law" but on the third day he would rise again to life.
It is interesting to imagine the relative positions of Jesus and his disciples as they walk on the Road in their journey at that moment: They were in one Group together but when Jesus talked of his death, emboldened, " Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him" (Mk8:32) Gospel Writer Mark wrote.
We can imagine Jesus being led away from the Group: Peter was walkeed ahead followed by Jesus. They went a little away from the Group.
Then Peter rebuked Jesus as if he (Peter) was the elder Leader: Peter said: "This shall never happen to you" (Mt 16:22). At that moment Jesus and Peter was face to face looking at each other: Jesus facing forward at Peter who was turned back and looking at Jesus. The other disciples were a little further back on the road. Amazingly, with great discernment, Mark brilliantly put the scene in Papyrus as no other Gospel Writers had. Marks says:
At that moment Jesus "turned and looked at his disciples"(Mk 8:33) and not at Peter! Jesus did not look at Peter for an important historical point. He turned his head backward towards the disciples and his back towards Peter! What a brilliant observation and revelation by Mark! A small sentence of a great Point, very important; the Kingdom of God is like a minute Mustard seed, not like a big Pumpkin!
Why did Mark add this apparently small sentence ("Jesus turned and looked at his disciples") while other great Gospel Teachers did not clearly?
Mark was not an Apostle; he was just an accompaniment of the Apostle Group. Mark was an accompaniment only of the Apostles on many occasions and recorded many small but very important points in the life and actions of Jesus and his disciples for the enlightenment of all future generations like us.
It was Mark who said the Fig Tree Jesus cursed had "green Leaves", it was Mark who said the Tree was withered "down to the Roots" and Mark recorded even the direction Jesus looked as he scolded Peter: Jesus rebuked Peter: "Get be behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men". It is obvious Mark accompanied the Apostles and Jesus on many occasions. It was most probable Mark himself ran away naked leaving with his pursuers with the only linen cloth he was wearing on the night of Jesus' arrest. If it were not Mark no other would be able to know whether the deserter was having only a 'linen Cloth' cover and no other garments and no other would know whether man ran away 'naked' or that the Cloth was of linen. Jesus himself has given the reasons why he called Peter as 'Satan'.
When Jesus said this, he was looking at the disciples and not at Peter. That has great significance of implications. Jesus looks at his disciples of which all of Us are, including the Church "at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law".
There is another pertinent significance why Jesus said what he had said to 'the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law', to all of us, particularly the 'Learned' that they should not behave leading Jesus. They need to follow Him and not try to lead Him.
