March 8: Following His Guidance.
HIS IMPERATIVE.
"Get behind Me, Satan!...for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."--Matthew 16:23
In one class of my master's degree in organizational behavior, I was reproved by a substitute professor, and it changed my life. We were studying Kohlberg's Moral Development Model, and she challenged me because of a comment I made. I realized that she was right, and that my view of God needed realignment. This reprimand was a pivotal moment for me, and it provoked a reassessment of my understanding of God's will for humankind.
Peter had just made a ground-breaking confession about Jesus being the Son of God (Matthew 16:16), and Jesus said that this understanding was given to Peter by His Father in heaven. Only a few verses later, things had changed dramatically. Jesus was revealing that it was imperative for Him to go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, be killed, and be raised on the third day (verse 21). "That He must go..." (verse 21) uses the Greek verb dei which means that "it is necessary." Jesus had to go through this (see also Luke 24:26). The suffering of Jesus was an absolute necessity in order to achieve His redemptive plan. Peter cannot reconcile this perspective with his preconceived ideas of what the Messiah was to achieve. Taking Jesus aside, he "began to rebuke Him, saying, 'God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You' " (Matthew 16:22). Using a double negative (translated as never), Peter tries to impress upon Jesus that this is not the way. In doing so, Peter has taken Satan's position, trying to divert Jesus from the cross (see Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus recognizes the intention of the enemy and utters a stern reprimand: "Get behind Me, Satan!" (Matthew 16:23; see Matthew 4:10); and goes on to explain that Peter's mind is not set on the things of God but on the things of humans (verse 23). At that moment, Peter had become a stumbling block for the redemptive act of Jesus. In our spiritual walk, we must also surrender to God's interests instead of ours. God is more interested in our salvation than in our comfort. Let's trust God's viewpoint of what is necessary in our lives for His redemptive purposes.
My Response:______________________________________________________
HIS IMPERATIVE.
"Get behind Me, Satan!...for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."--Matthew 16:23
In one class of my master's degree in organizational behavior, I was reproved by a substitute professor, and it changed my life. We were studying Kohlberg's Moral Development Model, and she challenged me because of a comment I made. I realized that she was right, and that my view of God needed realignment. This reprimand was a pivotal moment for me, and it provoked a reassessment of my understanding of God's will for humankind.
Peter had just made a ground-breaking confession about Jesus being the Son of God (Matthew 16:16), and Jesus said that this understanding was given to Peter by His Father in heaven. Only a few verses later, things had changed dramatically. Jesus was revealing that it was imperative for Him to go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, be killed, and be raised on the third day (verse 21). "That He must go..." (verse 21) uses the Greek verb dei which means that "it is necessary." Jesus had to go through this (see also Luke 24:26). The suffering of Jesus was an absolute necessity in order to achieve His redemptive plan. Peter cannot reconcile this perspective with his preconceived ideas of what the Messiah was to achieve. Taking Jesus aside, he "began to rebuke Him, saying, 'God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You' " (Matthew 16:22). Using a double negative (translated as never), Peter tries to impress upon Jesus that this is not the way. In doing so, Peter has taken Satan's position, trying to divert Jesus from the cross (see Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus recognizes the intention of the enemy and utters a stern reprimand: "Get behind Me, Satan!" (Matthew 16:23; see Matthew 4:10); and goes on to explain that Peter's mind is not set on the things of God but on the things of humans (verse 23). At that moment, Peter had become a stumbling block for the redemptive act of Jesus. In our spiritual walk, we must also surrender to God's interests instead of ours. God is more interested in our salvation than in our comfort. Let's trust God's viewpoint of what is necessary in our lives for His redemptive purposes.
My Response:______________________________________________________
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