You are Peter. Get thee behind me! Thoughts from Matthew 16 & 17

Oh, Peter, how I can't wait to meet you.

You had just confessed that Jesus was the Son of God.  Jesus told you that this truth was revealed to you by the Father... you were so privileged to see it.

YOU ARE THE CHRIST, the Son of the Living God.

What a great confession!  

Jesus responded with these words:  "You are Peter, and upon this rock, this little stone, I will build my church."  Jesus, the Architect, the Builder, the Chief Cornerstone, was saying that even though you were a little stone, a pebble of insignificance, you would be used in His plan to redeem a people unto Himself.

This gives me hope.  No matter how small and insignificant I am, God is using ME, too, in His great plan.

Jesus went on to tell you, Peter, about His looming death.  No way did you want to hear that.  You loved your Master, and you wanted only the best for Him.  So, you rebuked the Lord Jesus, and He blasted you:

GET THEE BEHIND ME, SATAN!

Ouch.  That must have hurt.

YOU ARE A HINDRANCE TO ME.

Peter, you were not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.  You didn't understand that the death of the Perfect, Beloved, Holy Son of God was exactly what was needed in order to save a people from their sins.  You didn't think God's way.  You didn't want Jesus to suffer and die.

GET THEE BEHIND ME

Imagine those words - what a terrible shock.
Peter was just told that he was the rock
Upon which the Saviour would build His great church.
I think Peter's stomach must have leapt in a lurch.

"You are a hindrance to me," Jesus said.
"Do you see there's a problem inside your head?
You must set your mind on the things of God,
'Cause the things of man are most seriously flawed."

Oh, Satan's a sneaky one, that is for sure-
Using Peter to hinder God's purpose most pure.
Jesus set His mind to accomplish God's plan,
But Peter was tempted to think thoughts of man.

A battle is raging in everyone's mind-
God's thoughts are too high for mere mortal mankind,
Yet His Spirit indwells and we take up our cross.
God works in our sorrows - He purges the dross.

And we learn to think God's way, with wisdom & grace,
To put on our armour, to gaze on His face
As He shines like the sun, with clothes purest white
And transforms us, His children, for endless delight.