Do not get too mad at the disciple Peter. In a way, he was rebuked for loving Jesus too much.
Jesus had just declared that he would soon endure great suffering, be rejected by the most important people of the time, be killed, and in three days rise again. I am quite certain that the hopeful sounding “rise again” part of Jesus’ speech was completely lost on Peter due to the distraction of the ideas of “suffering,” “rejection,” and “death.”
If you tell anyone that death is waiting just around the upcoming corner, I am certain that all else that is said will fade away into the distance. Someone who has heard the word "cancer" come out of the doctor's can attest to how all the words of possible treatment fades into a distanced jumble of word salad.
Fearing for Jesus, Peter takes Jesus aside and rebukes him for such talk. “Why are you talking about death, like it is something that is coming tomorrow? It doesn’t have to. These things are not set in stone. There are ways around it. Just work with us and we will figure it out together. We are here for you. You don’t have to die right now. You are too important to all of us. You are too important to me!” I imagine a panicked Peter telling his beloved teacher.
It is probably what I would have said in any case. No one wants to believe the worst will come to pass. No one wants to face death head on. No one seeks suffering.
Peter is just doing what any of us would do, trying to prevent the worst…trying to defy death. As I said, do not be so hard on Peter. In the same way, do not be so hard on that school law enforcement officer who waited out in the parking lot for 4 or 5 minutes during the most recent school shooting in Florida. I think that it would be unfair to characterize the man (who was an honored officer up to that day) as a coward who did not care about the kids. No one wants to die. No one wants to run headlong into the spray of bullets.
He might have died alongside that coach who appeared to give it a try. Yes, he would have been honored, like the coach. But, he might also be dead.
Jesus accuses Peter of setting his mind on human things rather than divine things. And, Jesus is right, Peter is setting his mind on human concerns...human concerns about his friend. Peter does not have a special, divine perspective that allows him to even consider the possibility of his friend rising again after death.
Peter is setting his mind on the human concerns of safety and life. Peter is setting his mind on the human concern of protecting his friend. Peter is awash in human concern, that is true, but his concern is most likely genuine “concern."
He is concerned. He does care. He wants to preserve life, even if it is a little selfish in a way. What parent does not want to protect their child? What friend does not want the best for his or her buddy? Sure, it could all be seen as a little selfish, but it is still concern. It is the same concern that all of us “decent” people would have for another person.
You know what is so hard about the divine perspective? We cannot see it very well.
Yes, we want to see it, we want to do what is right and good in the eyes of the Lord, but we cannot always see what the divine perspective looks like.
Unfortunately, we are kind of blind to it because we are stuck in this fleshy material, seeing with fleshy eyes, feeling with fleshy hands, loving with a fleshy heart, and thinking with a fleshy brain. We are kind of stuck.
But, what if we could see with divine eyes? What if we could feel around with a divine hand? What if we could love with a divine heart and know the truth with a divine brain? It is possible.
Jesus says that it is possible, but it probably will not be in the way that you are thinking. Our flesh will not be transformed into a glowing, divine exterior of greatness anytime soon. We will still be us, faulty as we are, but the divine will not be far away. The divine is not hidden. The divine is not closed off from our world. The divine walks nearby the disciples. All they are asked to do is follow.
Jesus literally says to Peter, “Get behind me Satan.”
I am going to pretty much forget the "Satan" part for right now. I will only say that Peter’s concern is a distraction to God’s plan. That is what Satan does (also translated as "the adversary"). The adversary takes our goodness and our concern and bends it is the wrong direction. That is what is happening to Peter here.
The part that I do want to focus on is the “get behind me” part.
Consider the fact that Jesus could have sworn at Peter and told him to just go away. He does not do that.
Jesus could have just ignored Peter and let him fade into history…a disciple who was but is no more. He does not do that.
Jesus could have opened up the earth and let it swallow the poor disciple whole. The one who controls the storm and earth could have easily done that. But, he does not.
Instead, Jesus tells Peter to get behind him.
Have you ever played follow the leader? Of course, you have. The whole object of the game is to do what the leader does and arrive at the destination that the leader desires. Of course, every classroom has the Peter-like kid that wanders off toward the blocks instead, but that does not change the game. The game is still to follow the leader and do what the leader does.
When Jesus tells Peter to get behind him, he is literally telling him to simply follow.
Peter may not understand what God is up to. Peter may not know why the suffering must happen. Peter likely does not comprehend the resurrection and salvation of the entire world lying ahead. Peter may not have even been able to understand it all it if Jesus chose to sit down and explained it to him for an hour. Which one of us could stand up and claim to understand the divine mind?
However, there is one thing that Peter can do, and it is the same thing that you can also do. Get behind Jesus, do what he does, and follow where he goes.
Distractions will always come. Worldly concerns will always try to get in the way of your discipleship. Jesus understands and forgives each time this happens. You will not be thrown away. But, after the forgiveness, Jesus also asks that we get behind him. He is the leader and we follow. Therefore we do things like studying the scriptures. Studying his love. Doing as he has done. Love as he loved.
Jesus takes up a cross and puts his life on the line for the sake of others, you do the same. Be love as Jesus is love.
Do you know where all of this following is going to end? No.
Do you know if your cross bearing and suffering for others will even make a difference in the end? No.
But, we do not need to know. We do not need the divine eyes that can see how it will all turn out in 1 year or even 50 years. We are not asked to know how it will all end. All we are asked to do is follow to the end, and Jesus promises that it will lead to resurrection and new life.
“Do not be distracted by human things. Get behind me,” Jesus says to Peter.
“Do not be distracted by human things. Get behind me,” Jesus says to you.
Follow where Jesus walks. He always leads to new life.
No comments:
Post a Comment