Get Behind Me

Mk. 8:31-33

"And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."

Peter rebuked Jesus, no doubt, because he loved Him and didn't want Him to suffer, but it didn't change the fact that he was trying to keep Jesus from doing the will of the Father. Many times human motives, even though sympathetic and kind, are wrong. Just because we want to solve the problem, take away the pain, or  make it all better doesn't mean we should. How revealing is it that Peter went to the default mode even in his relationship with Jesus! His human nature cried out to be self-sufficient not God-conscious. He tried to make it all better. But Jesus responded harshly, Get behind me, Satan. He clearly showed the heinousness of man trying to usurp the will of the Father. Where should Peter's mind and heart have been? Should it have been  figuring out an easier way or a less painful way to accomplish the task? No, it should have been on the things of God not on the things of man. The same goes for me. If I am raised with Christ, I need to seek the things that are above. I need to set my mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For if I have died, my life is hidden with Christ in God. If I am truly hidden with Christ in God, I will not try to do the will of God through my own means and methods. I won't immediately go to the default mode and let my self-sufficiency rule the day. Instead, I must trust and wait on God even if His way involves rejection, death, and even resurrection. No matter how hard it is or how hard it is to believe God's ways are infinitely better than my ways. Since I know this and believe it, why is it so hard for me to live it? How willful is my flesh! Have I rebuked Satan when he is seeking to destroy my relationship with Jesus? Am I even aware of the spiritual battle that surrounds me?

Father,

Open my eyes to my choices and actions. Help me to hide myself in You so that I am doing only Your will.

In Jesus name,

Amen