Below is this afternoon’s exercise with making a sentence flow on the basis of Matthew 16:21-28. On the basis of this sentence flow, one can immediately see the answers to the following questions about the text:
- “From that time on…” To which episode is Matthew referring here?
- Which are the two big sections of the narrative? (Please justify your answer: there seems to be three sub-sections, but this “extra” sub-section would best go with just one of the others.)
- What did Jesus begin to show the disciples?
- From whom is he to suffer greatly?
- Where is this going to happen?
- What is the reason that Jesus tells Peter “Get behind me Satan?” (Hint: Relate this to the previous section, Matthew 16:17 and to an earlier episode, Matthew 4:1-11)
- Which are the three requirements for becoming a disciple of Jesus?
- Which verse indicates to us that the disciple will be judged according to these requirements?
- Does Matthew 16:28 go with the preceding verses (Matthew 16:21-27) or with the following?
- Is there a difference between “Son of God” and “Son of Man” in the context of these verses including the preceding one, Matthew 16:13-20?
21From that time on,
Jesus began
to show his disciples
thathe must go to Jerusalem
and suffer greatlyfrom the elders,
the chief priests,
and the scribes,and be killed
and on the third day be raised.22 Then
Petertook him aside
and began to rebuke him,“God forbid, Lord!
No such thing
shall ever happen to you.”23 He turned
and said to Peter,“Get behind me, Satan!
You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does,
but as human beings do.”24 Then Jesus
said to his disciples,
“Whoever wishes to come after me
must deny himself,25 For
take up his cross,
and follow me.
whoever wishes
to save his lifebut whoever
will lose it,
loses his life26 What profit
for my sake
will find it.
would there be
for one
to gain
the whole world
and forfeit
his life?
Or what
can one
give
in exchange
for his life?
27 For
the Son of Man
will come with his angels
in his Father’s glory,
and then he will repay everyone
according to his conduct.
28 Amen, I say to you,
there are some
standing here
who will not taste deaththe Son of Man
until they see
coming in his kingdom.”
The sentence flow makes up 30% of the analysis of the text. What follows next would be word studies, the understanding of how 
it is used in the liturgy and 
the application of the text’s meaning to one’s life. It is from this latter that one bases one’s resolution(s) for the week.
21From that time Jesus began to shew to his disciples, that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the ancients and scribes and chief priests, and be put to death, and the third day rise again.
22And Peter taking him, began to rebuke him, saying: Lord, be it far from thee, this shall not be unto thee.
23Who turning, said to Peter: Go behind me, Satan, thou art a scandal unto me: because thou savourest not the things that are of God, but the things that are of men.
24Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25For he that will save his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it.
26For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for his soul?
27For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels: and then will he render to every man according to his works.
28Amen I say to you, there are some of them that stand here, that shall not taste death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
17And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven.
1Then Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert, to be tempted by the devil.
2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he was hungry.
3And the tempter coming said to him: If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4Who answered and said: It is written, Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God.
5Then the devil took him up into the holy city, and set him upon the pinnacle of the temple,
6And said to him: If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written: That he hath given his angels charge over thee, and in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7Jesus said to him: It is written again: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8Again the devil took him up into a very high mountain, and shewed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them,
9And said to him: All these will I give thee, if falling down thou wilt adore me.
10Then Jesus saith to him: Begone, Satan: for it is written, The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve.
11Then the devil left him; and behold angels came and ministered to him.
28Amen I say to you, there are some of them that stand here, that shall not taste death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
13And Jesus came into the quarters of Cesarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples, saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is?
14But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am?
16Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.
17And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven.
18And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.
20Then he commanded his disciples, that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.
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