Get Behind Me, Satan!

QUESTION:

Matthew 16:22-23 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are astumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

Jesus told Peter He must die and Peter told Him no.  Then Jesus rebuked Peter and said “get behind me Satan.”  I am guessing that anyone who stands in the way of God’s plan is Satan… is that right?  Peter had not grasped that Jesus was dying as part of God’s plan to save mankind. Is that close?  Another question about that verse is how was Jesus’ response to Peter an act of love?

ANSWER:

In pulling Jesus aside and rebuking/reproving Him, Peter was giving Jesus instructions on how things should go. This was very much a situation where the student was telling the teacher what was going to happen. In Peter’s case, the stakes or the situation was much higher. The disciple was telling the Master what should occur… the created was telling the Creator what should happen. In opposing the death of Jesus, Peter was advocating something directly opposite of the will of God and so was lining up directly with what Satan would have wanted. Satan was all about sidetracking Jesus from what God wanted (Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus would willingly go to the cross, but He did struggle with it (note the Garden of Gethsemane … “take this cup”). Peter, the Rock, was acting like a “stumbling block” instead and was attempting to tell Jesus what He should or rather should not do. Peter was neither Satan nor filled with Satan, but his attitude was the same as Satan’s and this was what Jesus was commenting on.

The command “get behind me” is a clearing away of the temptation/obstacle (Peter) so Jesus could focus on going to the Cross.

Jesus’ response to Peter was an act of love in that it undoubtedly crushed Peter and also shocked him to a right thinking and right belief about the mission of the Messiah. Knowing Peter the way we do from other Scriptures… Peter needed a harsh response to get through his thick head. Jesus DID have to die. He DID need to suffer and this was the path of the Messiah. Jesus could not let Peter keep his mind on the “things of men” or he would end up in a worse sinful situation (maybe like Judas Iscariot). Jesus’ harsh response was to shock Peter into right thinking. Jesus’ response put Peter on the right path of accepting Jesus’ role of the Suffering Servant and not the Conquering King.

I have always found it interesting that in Mark 8:32-33 which is parallel for this passage in Matthew, Mark does not report what Peter said to Jesus. Perhaps because Mark was Peter’s secretary and Peter was trying to block out what he said to the Savior of the World (maybe…my thought only). Mark wrote down Peter’s recollections of Jesus’ ministry which is why it is so action oriented. I wouldn’t want to admit what I said to Jesus either (my thought). Peter was a stumbling block for Jesus at this particular time.

Troy Borst

Christian Education Minister

If you have a question about Scripture, please email me at troy.borst@newbeginningscctampa.org