Year 3 Day 8

Year 3 Day 8


Pray (ACts)


Read - Mark 8:33


Message - Alan Burke


None of us like it when we are rebuked for what we say or how we behave, we either get defensive or go on the offensive! And we have all said things in the moment that we later regret, we have all said things that we can’t believe came out of our mouths. The disciples are with Jesus, Peter had confessed that Jesus was the Christ, then Jesus predicts His own death, how he would suffer, be rejected and killed but on the third day rise, and Peter rebuked Jesus. I’m sure the disciples were like rabbits in the headlights, looking on, while Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked them, likely silence in the room and after Peter said what he wanted to say, getting it all of his chest. Then Jesus looks around, looks at them all and says “Get behind me, Satan!”! 


The Peter who had just confessed that Jesus is the Christ is now told get behind me Satan. Jesus didn’t mince His words. He could have said ‘get behind me you fool’, ‘stop being an Eejit Peter’, ‘wise the bap’ or what ever non Northern Irish sayings there were at the time, but he didn’t. Jesus said to Peter “Get behind me Satan”. He didn’t mince His words, it is a strong, clear rebuke of Peter who had tried to rebuke Him.  


Now some context for what had just happened, Mark doesn’t mention it, but in Matthew we are given a fuller account. There moments earlier before Jesus had rebuked Peter we learn that Jesus had said ‘you are now Peter meaning rock, and on this rock I will build by church’ (Mt 16:18). And now Jesus is rebuking him in a way that makes the things that we have said seem nice in comparison, Jesus calls Peter Satan, the one who is the father of lies, the one who who is a devouring lion (1 Pet 5:8), the archetype of the Antichrist. 


Also in Matthew’s gospel were also told in the temptation of Jesus by Satan Jesus “said Get behind me Satan”. This rebuke of Peter by Jesus is just like that of Satan’s in the wilderness because Peter had set himself against the plans of God, he may not have known it, he may not have understood what he was doing, but he had rejected the word of God from the lips of Jesus the Christ!


Half truths can be worse than outright errors. Think about it, Peter was right, Jesus is the Christ, but he was wrong in what that would mean. As Jesus makes clear the issue for Peter is that he did not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men. Peter’s motives may have been well founded, he desires in a sense to help, the rest of the disciples would have likely patted him on the back for it, but Jesus reproves him so harshly and in no greater way to make sure that he knew and we know that what ever our motives, if we reject the teaching of scripture, it doesn’t matter if it it is the words of Jesus or any part of it, then whether you understand you know what you are saying or not you are acting as a disciple of Satan, not as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Peter’s motive was irrelevant, what mattered was the truth of God’s word incarnate before them.


So what about us, do we have good motives, are we trying to help, are we being applauded by the world but are we missing the point and begin so focused on this life that we have missed why we are here, that we are so focused on begin inoffensive that we may as well be in league with Satan for we tell half truths, partial truths, pick the stuff that we want? I hope not, I hope we desire to please God more than man, I hope that we have in mind the things of God rather than man, do we? Are we unwittingly acting as a disciple of Satan?


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q15 What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?
The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein thy were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit. (Gen. 3:6)
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