21From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.22But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”
23Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, gSatan! You are a hdangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
Peter went from being a rock, to a trap in just a few verses. Why was Jesus so harsh and what was going on?
Jesus was trying to warn his disciples that the road ahead was harsh. Jesus knew what was comingg..he had rad about himself in the Old Testament. Jesus had accepted his future, but his disciples had not. They still expected kingship and victory, not suffering and death. Peter was not ready to abandon of his dreams for Jesus just because Jesus had abandoned them. Peter was not ready to see things from God’s point of view.
Are we willing to let go of our dreams for ourselves, our family, our friends or even our children so God can accomplish his work? It is very hard, but if we don’t do just that, we become a Satan. God’s view is so different than ours and his ways so unsearchable. He thrives on turning death into life, sin into humility, condemnation into salvation.
This very personal to me. I have two sons who claim to be atheist. I love them dearly and it crushes me…almost. But I must say that God has used that to make me investigate my faith and recommit my life to him. Their boldness about atheism has made me bolder about my faith in Jesus. I hope and pray that God will bring them home some day, but whatever his plan, I must accept it. From God’s point of view, their atheism may be a springboard to bring others to faith. In my eyes it is the worst tragedy imaginable, but that may be merely a human point of view.
Lord, give me the faith to follow You to Your cross, or my cross, or wherever You lead me. Help me to abandon my human way of looking at things. Help me to see trials and suffering as You do and walk toward them as You did. Beginner’s Online Bible Study *obbs*
When has God surprised you by his point of view? When has he chosen to bless you through a trial or tragedy?
When I read the title “Close Friend Can Be a Trap” Something didn’t sound right to me. Then when I read the 23rd Verse I said to myself That’s not how I remember this and this modern day traslation changed something for me. I got out my Bible and it reads, “Jesus turned on Peter and siad,”Get out of my sight, you Satan! You are trying to make me trip and fall. You are not judging by God’s standards but by man’s.” While both of these translated loosely can say the same thing, when I read the modern translation and title I get caught up in the idea that people close to us purposely do thing that lead us to a point then all of a sudden we are forced to do something that we or at least God knows is wrong. We don’t really have a choice (a Trap). Contrary when I read my bibles verse I see that Peter at this point doesn’t understand the method that God has chosen to bring salvation to mankind. Jesus has taken control of the choice he and We have though freedom to choose and is telling him not to make this extremly hard suffering that he has chosen to do seem not necessary. He might not choose it if he thinks that there is a chance that there is another way. God knows why it has to be done this way we don’t. I believe it has to do with our CHOICE to LOVE or not. This verse for me has a lot more to do with How do we choose and what we leave affect our choices. We all are asked to evaluate our choice of God at some point (sometimes many points) in our life. Our choices are sometimes good, some are striking at what we think is dear to the ones that we see as an obsticle to our wants, sometimes it is just to be different, and sometimes it is just plain stupid. One part of our kids growing is to check out the opposite side, and see where the pieces fall. The real question comes when what they really value is on the line how do they choose! This is between them, God, and the what they allow to affect the Choice.
That is a great perspective on this and I am so glad you added it. Thank-you so much.