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Then
Jesus began to tell them that he, the Son of Man, would suffer many terrible
things and be rejected by the leaders, the leading priests, and the teachers of
religious law. He would be killed, and three days later he would rise again. As
he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and told
him he shouldn't say things like that. Jesus
turned and looked at his disciples and then said to Peter very sternly,
"Get away from me, Satan! You are seeing things merely from a human point
of view, not from God's."
(Mark 8:31-38 NLV). Yesterday
we looked at this passage and focused on another part of it. Before I move on to
other readings, I wanted to focus on Jesus’ response to Peter also. It
furthers our thoughts on the gift of salvation that we receive through Christ.
There are three times we know of that Jesus teaches His disciples the meaning of
His death on the cross. Each time they are dismayed and shocked that He would
even think of dying. They did not
understand at all the necessity of His sacrifice.
They still were under the deception of the law. Peter’s
rebuke is a clear expression of this misunderstanding. Why? Mark suggests Peter
is radically uncomfortable with Jesus' speaking of these ultimate things, of God
and of death. He doesn't understand what place death could have in the kingdom
promised by Jesus. He doesn't yet see Jesus for who he is. And for that, Jesus
identifies Peter with Satan, the one he battled in the wilderness and the one we
battle during our lives. Satan
and demonology are always difficult for Christians to grasp. The saddest part of
all this is that most people fail to recognize the reality of the devil at all.
Some laugh at the concept picturing Satan as some red-suited being with horns, a
tail, and carrying a pitchfork! While I still don't know exactly what Satan
looks like, I do know of the reality of his existence. I have seen the evidence
of his work in the world. I have read of his existence in the Scripture. Those
two things alone are enough to open my eyes to the truth of Satan’s reality.
That having been said, what difference does that knowledge make? It brings me to the truth Jesus shows the disciples in our reading this morning. Satan is that which prevents us from seeing Jesus for who he is. Anything that keeps us from seeing the truth of Christ is rooted in Satan. Jesus calls us to be His disciples. Discipleship simply means a life that springs from grace. It is a life that embraces giving. Martin Luther has said, “a religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing is worth nothing.” Satan’s greatest lie compels us to believe that following Christ costs nothing. The truth is that it will cost us everything! And, it will repay us even more! What do you need to give today? |
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