Peter’s Good and Not So Good Day
Matthew 16:15-17, 21-23 NKJV
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
I am taking some journalistic liberty here in assuming that these two situations happened on the same day. They did happen to the same person.
Peter had a revelation. Jesus asked His disciples who people said He was. They listed various prophets, including John the Baptist or one of the prophets risen from the dead. These were some outlandish answers to who Jesus was. When Jesus further questioned the disciples about who they said He was, Peter spoke up. And Peter was spot on—the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus responded to Peter’s answer by calling him blessed and declaring that his assessment was revealed by God in heaven. Peter was having a good day.
And then he wasn’t. When Jesus began to explain to His disciples about His impending suffering and death, Peter had another assessment. But this one was not from heaven. Peter pulled the Lord aside and began to rebuke Him. This was the same Peter whom Jesus had called blessed. The same Peter who would be a part of the church that Jesus was building. But that was before, and now Peter is rebuking Jesus. Not a good idea, and Jesus had something to say.
Jesus recognized that Peter’s rebuke was a tool of Satan. Jesus had to suffer and die in order to fulfill God’s plan. Jesus could not afford to have anyone try to talk Him out of the difficult task He was facing. And Jesus said something that defined Peter’s problem. He was not mindful of the things of God but of the things of men.
What did Jesus mean by that phrase? Wouldn’t not wanting Jesus to be rejected and die be the natural desire of someone who cared about Him? Unless Peter had other things in mind. Peter went from being an anonymous fisherman in the backwoods of Galilee to being connected with the most famous man in all of Israel. Working closely with Jesus made Peter a somebody. Peter was in the inner circle of the miracle-working Messiah, the One who would restore Israel to a place of glory. If Jesus died, Peter was back to fishing, back to being anonymous. I am positive Peter cared about Jesus. But Peter also cared about Peter. If Peter’s motives had been pure, Jesus would not have rebuked him so strongly. The good news is Peter adjusted. He eventually got to the place where he served God and was instrumental in the foundations of the early church.
Application
It’s quite possible to have a good day and a bad day on the same day. We can receive help from the Lord in the way of revelation, wisdom, guidance, and strength. And we can be selfish and mind the things that appeal to man rather than the things of God. But as Peter did, we can adjust and grow and become a blessing to God’s Kingdom and pleasing to the Lord.
Prayer
Thank You, Lord, for the revelation You have given me. Help me to be one who is more mindful of the things that please God than the things that appeal to man.