Day 11: Rebuked by Jesus

Second Monday in Lent

Scripture: Mark 8:31-33

^{NRS 31} Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³² He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³ But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."

Devotional: Any hope that Peter was getting it was dashed on the rocks as Jesus calls him Satan.  How can this be the guy upon which Jesus will build His church? How can the fellow Jesus calls Satan have the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven? How can someone have the Kingdom of God explained to them by Messiah himself still not get it? How can we not get it even though we have the story of God from front to back in the Bible along with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to help us understand? The simplest understanding is that these are the deep things of God and sometimes they are hard to get! Bold, impetuous, well-meaning Peter thought he got it as he pulled Jesus aside to rebuke Him, but Jesus rebukes him with strong and stern words, “Get behind me Satan!” His words were directed at Peter, but His eyes were upon His disciples. While Peter was the only one dumb enough to say the words out loud, the disciples were thinking the same thing, so really the rebuke was for all of them. Sometimes a strong rebuke from the mouth of our Savior is just what the doctor orders. His rebuke to Peter and the disciples was setting a boundary between the things of God and the things of man? Will the followers of Christ submit to His will and keep their minds on the things of God? Peter in his boldness needed that reminder; the disciples in their meekness needed that reminder; and we in our daily walks with Christ need that reminder. Every person who chooses to follow Jesus will, at some point, need that rebuke, sometimes firm, sometimes gentle, always to remind us to keep our minds on the things of God.

Prayer: God, You are our protective Father who sets safe boundaries for each of us to live within. We ask You to keep our hearts and minds on Your things instead of ours; to keep us focused on Your will for our lives rather than our will; and to keep our eyes upon You, that while we may stumble, we do not stray from the path of Your will. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Song of praise:         You Are My King performed by Newsboys

                                                

Spiritual discipline challenge: Today’s challenge goes back to submission, because that is what Jesus’ rebuke is all about. He needed Peter to submit to God’s understanding of what it means to be Messiah. Today let us meditate on a doctrine that we struggle with in an effort to submit to God’s understanding rather than our own.