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THINK On These Things |
The Peter Problem |
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Written by Alexander W. “Brother Al” Salay
Philippians 4:8
Peter! First called Simon;
A disciple of Jesus Christ;
With brother Andrew, the first called to follow the Lord;
“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew His brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers. And He saith unto them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him.” (Matt 4:18-20)
A man bold enough to ask to walk on water;
“And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be thou bid me come to thee on the water.” (Matt 14:28)
A man blessed by the Father with the direct revelation that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God;
“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven.” (Matt 16:16)
A friend close enough to be invited to the Mount of Transfiguration;
“And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them; and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light.” Matt 17:1
A follower quick to proclaim his loyalty;
“Peter answered and said unto Him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.” (Matt 26:33)
A chosen prayer partner at Gethsemane.
“And He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.” (Matt 26:37)
Yes, Peter was a blessed man, a great man, a prominent man in the months that Jesus ministered on Earth. His name is mentioned in the Word 158 times, more than any name other than Jesus. Along with the brothers James and John, he was part of the inner circle of disciples that was with Jesus constantly.
Yet Peter, poor Peter, received the most stinging rebuke Jesus is recorded to have uttered. The Word says Jesus “turned, and said unto Peter,
‘Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense to me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.’” (Matt 16:23)
PETER!
Disciple, Called, Bold, Blessed,
Friend, Loyal, Chosen.
Satan, an Offense.
Poor Peter. He wanted so much to love and serve Jesus, yet he still fell short. His human viewpoint trapped him. He savored the things of men more than the things of God. He was more focused on the physical well‑being of his friend Jesus than he was in the eternal plan of God the Father. Even after such a stinging rebuke, he persisted in his attempts to save Jesus from his destiny. He knew of the world to come, but his thought processes and his actions were solidly rooted in this world.
I believe that each Christian is, to some degree, “Peter.” We know that the Jesus‑standard is to place the things of God above the things of man. The words of Matthew 6:33 , “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you,” come easily to our lips. But like Peter, we seem all too ready to slip into our foolish and temporal concerns, sometimes forgetting completely that there is a kingdom to be sought.
In Matthew 16:17, you can sense the rejoicing in Jesus’ words when He says, “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar‑jona: for flesh and blood have not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven.” Jesus was excited for His friend. He was joyful because of Peter’s spiritual success. When the voice of God speaks to you more loudly than the voice of the world, you are blessed.
In Matthew 16:23 , you can sense the revulsion in Jesus’ words when He says, “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense to me:” How strong, how painful a statement! What a stinging rebuke! In the vernacular of today, you might say, “Get out of here. You make me sick!”
The primacy of God, His Word and His plan over the things of the world is the rock bottom issue of Jesus’ life and teachings. Even as He agonized at Gethsemane, Jesus was still submissive to the plan of the Father. The Word was His standard. The world was nothing.
Let us be clear: Peter’s act was not an act of rebellion. It was an act of human passion and compassion. It was an act of misguided love. His was not an unwilling heart. His was an improperly focused mind. As a result, he unwittingly became Satan’s mouthpiece, as that enemy tried to weaken Jesus’ resolve.
As Peter demonstrated so clearly:
When we listen to the Spirit, we are blessed. (Matt 16:17)
When we listen to the flesh and the mind we are used of Satan. (Matt 16:23)
Today, we may be saved, we may live a somewhat obedient life, we may honor God and speak to others about His love and His grace. But where are our concerns? Are they in this temporary world? Or are they in the Kingdom of God? Surely we would not want to hear our Lord say to us, “Get thee behind me Satan: thou art an offense to me.”
BUT, Do we savor the things of God
Above the things of man?
Really?
Peter’s victory is seen as he later advised his readers, “Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you . . .” (1 Peter 1:13)
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Presented by Brother Al Salay – Blessed Man Ministries Inc.
1093 A1A Beach Blvd. #273, St. Augustine, FL 32080-6733