BEING PETER

Mark 8:29b, 32-33

“Peter replied, ‘You are the Messiah’.” 

“As He talked openly with His disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand Him for saying such things.  Jesus turned around and looked at His disciples, then reprimanded Peter.  ‘Get away from me, Satan!” he said.  ‘You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.’”

In the space of a very short time, Peter went from boldly proclaiming Jesus as Messiah to being reprimanded by Jesus for allowing his perspective to be influenced by Satan.  How does that happen?  Peter was in the physical presence of the Lord and he still caved to the moment!

For an explanation of how that can happen, I need look no further away than yesterday in my car.  Commuting back home from work, I was really enjoying some fantastic worship music on the radio.  I had the radio cranked up like a teenager, singing along with the group Building 429.  My heart was set on worshiping God and it was good!

Then, someone cut me off.  I was instantly angry.  I honked.  I yelled at him.  “Stupid kid!” I shouted to my windshield.  It took me several minutes to settle down again, let go of the emotion, and start listening to the words of the song.

I went from God-centered to self-centered in a heartbeat. 

We’re all Peter sometimes, aren’t we?  We call Him God one minute, then the next minute we’re “taking Him aside and reprimanding Him”; we take obedience to God out of THIS moment and set it aside!  Jesus says to us as He said to Peter, “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s”.   

Instead of yelling at the driver of the other car, I should have been thanking God for keeping both of us safe; and praying that God would one day introduce Himself to “that stupid kid”.  Will I ever learn?

Father, when I call You Messiah, please help me

translate those words into behavior.  Amen.