Get Behind Me, Satan
Matthew 16:21-23
21From 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. 22And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23But 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.”
With Matthew 16:21, the story takes a turn into the final chapters of Jesus' life. He has instructed the Disciples, shown Himself to be sovereign over sickness, death, the demonic, and nature and displayed His great compassion for all people. Now it is time to turn His face toward the reason He came to earth - the salvation of our fallen race. It's time to teach the Disciples what lay ahead for Him and the news isn't good. He has come to suffer and die and that information is startling for the Disciples to take in and process. Peter, being the spokesman for the group, steps up again and tells Jesus that His death just isn't going to happen! Peter won't allow it! That's bold.
But Jesus answer is equally bold. He tells Satan (who is apparently speaking through Peter) to back off because he doesn't have the plans of God in mind. So Peter goes from being commended for his bold confession of faith in the previous few verses to being rebuked as a tool of Satan in the today's reading. (Fortunately, that bold confidence and intrepid willingness to speak up becomes one of Peter's greatest strengths as he fulfills Jesus command to grow the church.) For me, this interaction displays the determination of Satan to undermine the work of Jesus in the world.
If Satan is willing to attack Jesus Himself, he is certainly willing to take on a puny human. But, just as Jesus demanded that Satan step away from Him, so we too are able to do the same. If you will remember, Jesus handed authority and power over to the Disciples in Matthew 16:19, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Jesus, of course never lost sight of His power over evil. But we do. We become Satan's victims when we confuse the power stucture that God has set up. Jesus' victory over sin, death, and evil has become ours as His children. When harrassed by Satan, we too can turn to him and say "get behind me." (I prefer "get away from me in the name of Jesus" but that's just me.)
21From 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. 22And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23But 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.”
With Matthew 16:21, the story takes a turn into the final chapters of Jesus' life. He has instructed the Disciples, shown Himself to be sovereign over sickness, death, the demonic, and nature and displayed His great compassion for all people. Now it is time to turn His face toward the reason He came to earth - the salvation of our fallen race. It's time to teach the Disciples what lay ahead for Him and the news isn't good. He has come to suffer and die and that information is startling for the Disciples to take in and process. Peter, being the spokesman for the group, steps up again and tells Jesus that His death just isn't going to happen! Peter won't allow it! That's bold.
But Jesus answer is equally bold. He tells Satan (who is apparently speaking through Peter) to back off because he doesn't have the plans of God in mind. So Peter goes from being commended for his bold confession of faith in the previous few verses to being rebuked as a tool of Satan in the today's reading. (Fortunately, that bold confidence and intrepid willingness to speak up becomes one of Peter's greatest strengths as he fulfills Jesus command to grow the church.) For me, this interaction displays the determination of Satan to undermine the work of Jesus in the world.
If Satan is willing to attack Jesus Himself, he is certainly willing to take on a puny human. But, just as Jesus demanded that Satan step away from Him, so we too are able to do the same. If you will remember, Jesus handed authority and power over to the Disciples in Matthew 16:19, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Jesus, of course never lost sight of His power over evil. But we do. We become Satan's victims when we confuse the power stucture that God has set up. Jesus' victory over sin, death, and evil has become ours as His children. When harrassed by Satan, we too can turn to him and say "get behind me." (I prefer "get away from me in the name of Jesus" but that's just me.)
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