Matthew 16 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.
Harsh words. Especially to a friend. Direct. Truth. Jesus always spoke truth. Even when it stung. Even when it made no earthly sense. Unapologetic truth. As I was reading this I was thinking, Why did Jesus speak so harshly to Peter? What was He seeing in Peter that warranted such a strong reaction? It seemed that Peter was speaking only out of his love for Jesus.
Maybe it was this; false hope. A refusal to face the truth. Glossing over reality and avoiding the real issue. Because it was comfortable to do so. Sometimes it is easier to give false hope that to deal with the truth.
I see this often in oncology nursing. A denial of the inevitable. Usually not from the patient but from the family. Someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness; all hope is lost. All treatment is exhausted. And as this person is trying to reconcile themselves to the fact that they are dying, there is usually a family member who absolutely refuses to believe. They suggest more treatment, new alternatives, cutting edge medicine. Even as patients lay dying, they continue to spout false hope. Despite what the doctors say. Despite all evidence to the contrary they refuse to admit the inevitable. They are often critical of other family members for having no faith, no hope. And sometimes they hinder the patient from the task of dying. It is not faith or hope that keeps them pushing for life, it is the refusal to believe that anything bad can happen. It is the age old question of, Why do bad things happen?
Jesus came to die. It was the Father's will for Him to die. He had to die. And we should all be thankful for that. And while Peter may have had good intentions and great motivation he was a hindrance to Jesus. Denying God's will and perfect plan by refusing to see things from His perspective or to align himself with a heavenly design.
So maybe the lesson to be learned is this; Peter drew harsh words from Jesus because of his inability to reconcile his own plans to God's. If Peter was ever to be of any use to Jesus or to the church of the living God, he would have to learn to give up self to gain Christ. He would need to become willing to get in on God's plan rather than trying to get God in on his plans. He would need to see things from God's perspective. To set his mind on the things of God.
Romans 8 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their mind on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile toward God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed it cannot. For those who are in the flesh cannot please God...He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?
Father teach me, like Peter, to look beyond myself and my own plan. Teach me to have a heavenly view. Give me the ability to see beyond the here and now; to look beyond the cross and see past the present suffering and to set my mind on eternal values.
Harsh words. Especially to a friend. Direct. Truth. Jesus always spoke truth. Even when it stung. Even when it made no earthly sense. Unapologetic truth. As I was reading this I was thinking, Why did Jesus speak so harshly to Peter? What was He seeing in Peter that warranted such a strong reaction? It seemed that Peter was speaking only out of his love for Jesus.
Maybe it was this; false hope. A refusal to face the truth. Glossing over reality and avoiding the real issue. Because it was comfortable to do so. Sometimes it is easier to give false hope that to deal with the truth.
I see this often in oncology nursing. A denial of the inevitable. Usually not from the patient but from the family. Someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness; all hope is lost. All treatment is exhausted. And as this person is trying to reconcile themselves to the fact that they are dying, there is usually a family member who absolutely refuses to believe. They suggest more treatment, new alternatives, cutting edge medicine. Even as patients lay dying, they continue to spout false hope. Despite what the doctors say. Despite all evidence to the contrary they refuse to admit the inevitable. They are often critical of other family members for having no faith, no hope. And sometimes they hinder the patient from the task of dying. It is not faith or hope that keeps them pushing for life, it is the refusal to believe that anything bad can happen. It is the age old question of, Why do bad things happen?
Jesus came to die. It was the Father's will for Him to die. He had to die. And we should all be thankful for that. And while Peter may have had good intentions and great motivation he was a hindrance to Jesus. Denying God's will and perfect plan by refusing to see things from His perspective or to align himself with a heavenly design.
So maybe the lesson to be learned is this; Peter drew harsh words from Jesus because of his inability to reconcile his own plans to God's. If Peter was ever to be of any use to Jesus or to the church of the living God, he would have to learn to give up self to gain Christ. He would need to become willing to get in on God's plan rather than trying to get God in on his plans. He would need to see things from God's perspective. To set his mind on the things of God.
Romans 8 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their mind on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile toward God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed it cannot. For those who are in the flesh cannot please God...He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?
Father teach me, like Peter, to look beyond myself and my own plan. Teach me to have a heavenly view. Give me the ability to see beyond the here and now; to look beyond the cross and see past the present suffering and to set my mind on eternal values.
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