August 30, 2024

Mark 8.33 (NIV)

But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

[Read Mark 8.31-33 to get the whole story.]

The tempter sometimes speaks to us in the voice of a well-meaning friend.*

Mark doesn’t record Peter’s exact words, but Matthew says Peter “began to rebuke him” and quotes him as saying, “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” I assume that Peter said more than that – or intended to, anyway.

While Peter may have meant for the rebuke to be private, he was probably not alone in how he felt on the matter. None of these men wanted Jesus to die. Jesus knew what they were thinking but Peter was the only one who had the nerve to speak up. Hebrews 4.15 tells us that Jesus was tempted in every way that we are. Perhaps Peter’s scolding of Jesus included a suggestion that they make a run for it and avoid the events that Jesus had predicted.  Maybe he made one final attempt to talk Jesus into wielding his power now and establishing an earthly kingdom, a temptation Satan could use to divert Jesus from the Cross.”*

What would you or I have said if we had been in Peter’s place? Would we have cautioned Jesus about how his negativity was affecting morale? Would we have tried to get Jesus to tell us that he didn’t really mean what he said? Whatever Peter’s exact words, Satan used his good intentions for his evil purposes. Guard yourselves against being Satan’s tools.

What seems right and reasonable to human beings is often totally out of harmony with God’s ways. We must learn to trust the wisdom of God, even when it seems to go against all that seems wise or best to us.*