“Get behind me, Satan!” These were words that Jesus spoke to his own disciple, Peter. Undoubtedly, Jesus was known for being sharp with his words, but doesn’t it seem a little extreme to call a disciple, who left everything to follow you, ‘Satan?’ But unfortunately for him, Peter had done something to hinder God’s work. Let’s take a closer look at the situation.
The Scene
One day during his ministry, Jesus was teaching that he must suffer many things and be killed. But Peter took him aside. “Never, Lord!” he rebuked. “This shall never happen to you!” (Matthew 16:22). At this, Jesus said to Peter,
‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.’
Matthew 16:23
Ouch.
Peter had left his family–his whole life–to follow Jesus, whom he believed to be the Messiah. Obviously, he was just looking out for his Savior, right? We might have also said the same thing to Jesus, whom we cared for deeply.
God’s Will Be Done
First, to see why Peter’s outburst was such a problem, then we should look at what Jesus said to prompt it. He was talking about God’s will and plan. The plan to send Jesus as the Messiah, sacrifice him on the cross, and then raise him up.
This was the task appointed to Jesus at the time of the first coming–phase 1, if you will. It was something that had to be fulfilled for phase 2–atonement of sin and reconnection with God–to ever become a reality. Jesus’s task was to fulfill all of the prophecies written about him–regardless of his personal feelings or wishes.
Personal Feelings vs God’s Will
And of course, Jesus would have preferred not to carry out this task. I’m sure, just as much as Peter wasn’t happy about it, Jesus also didn’t want to bear the cross. He even prayed on the night of his arrest, tears of blood streaming down his cheeks, for that responsibility to be taken away from him if possible.
He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them…
Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Mark 14:33-36
He asked, but ultimately knew that God’s will had to be done. And for that to happen, he had to give up his personal wishes and submit to it.
And he did. Obedient to the point of death, we learn from Jesus that our personal feelings should not be allowed to get in the way of God’s work.
Rather he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death–even death on a cross!
Philippians 2: 7-8
So, How Did Peter Hinder God’s Work?
Peter, on the other hand, let his emotions and feelings get in the way. By taking Jesus aside and trying to stop him and these things from happening, he was effectively hindering the work of God. If Jesus didn’t suffer or was not killed, then God’s plan of reconnection with His creation would have no chance to be completed.
Peter wasn’t thinking about this. However unintentionally, he did the work of hindering God’s plan by trying to stop Jesus. And that’s the same work that Satan does. Peter feared someone dear to him being hurt, and Satan used that opening to his advantage. It was his spirit at work in Peter at that moment.
“Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
Mark 8:33
How to Make Sure You Don’t Hinder God’s Work
So, what can we learn from this? We have to ask ourselves, if I were in this or another similar situation, what would I do? Could I take everything I believe and feel, and cast it aside if it hindered God’s work? In the face of fear, sorrow and despair, could I keep going even if it meant dying for it?
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Matthew 10:39
Jesus tells us that a life of faith is a path of sacrifice and suffering. Furthermore, it’s a life where we constantly have to put God’s thoughts and plan above what we personally think and feel. Dying to myself, living for God–with the hope that Jesus’s words in Matthew 10 becomes a reality in us.
To Do God’s Work, You Have to Know His Will
But here’s the thing: do we even know God’s will and plan to reconnect us back to Him? If we don’t know, we’ll just be acting according to our own thoughts or what somebody else tells us. Consequently, at that point, we could very well hinder God’s work unknowingly like Peter did.
A student who never learned the classroom rules isn’t punished for breaking one the first time. But once you know the rules, you’re expected to follow them. Then, as believers, what is required of us?
It’s an effort to know and understand God’s will–for our understanding and discipline to increase to the point where our own thoughts and desires aren’t driving or controlling us. Once we know God’s will, we’ll know what can stay and what needs to be left behind.
Let us move with that determination and not let anything stand in our way as we fight for our lives of faith and get closer to God.
Get behind me, Satan.
Written by Samantha
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