Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” {Matthew 16:20-23 EsV]
I wonder what it was in Peter that provoked him to rebuke the Lord.
Maybe a bit of religious pride entered in when God revealed Christ's identity to him?
It sounds like something I would have done for sure.
I think that it is a problem that many new believers face.
We get a bit of revelation then feel empowered to rebuke those who are older in the faith.
Jesus would have none of it and responded strongly to Peter.
I think that the Lord reveals to us a bit about the nature of the Adversary.
He tells us that Satan hinders God's work by causing us to focus our attention on the temporal.
In focusing on the visible we lose sight of things eternal and invisible.
It is humbling to know that Jesus knew of his fate in Jerusalem and went there anyway.
In doing this he modeled for us what it is to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow God.
We emulate Christ when we embrace an eternal focus over a temporal one.
Lord, help me to embrace my cross. Open my eyes to eternal things.
... this devotion is part of the Red Letters series. Click here to read more.
Oh how I needed to hear this one today, Bob, as we fight the good fight of faith as we've just received, devestating news (in the natural) on our daughter. BUT (I love the word "but") GOD and that is where we are determined to keep our focus and our trust....on our GOD.
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