Peter scolds Jesus. Say what?

Scolding Jesus...

How often do we scold or correct Jesus? How often, in the midst of our broken culture, do we claim something is right just because a majority agree, or because it’s what we’ve always done, or because it’s a current fad?

Really, truly, think about it.

Jesus reached a certain point in His earthly ministry when He clearly began to head to the cross. “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” (Matthew 16:21 ESV)

His disciples did not understand nor did they like such talk. “And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.’” (Matthew 16:22 ESV)

How do you like that? Peter didn’t like the ideas Jesus espoused, nor did He like the PR. He scolded Jesus, basically saying, “Hey, listen, that’s not a message we like. Don’t talk like that.”

Jesus responds very strongly: “But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’” (Matthew 16:23 ESV)

I think we live in an age and in a culture that constantly scolds Jesus, and I mean even among those who claim to be His disciples. He says some fairly direct things about what it means to follow Him, issues of morality and holiness, and how we ought to love God and each other, and we very regularly, whether aloud or simply by behavior, tell Jesus we don’t agree with His line of thinking.

Then there’s the crowd who put words in Jesus’ mouth without ever really seeking to understand the words Jesus Himself spoke from His own mouth. Then there are the cherrypicking and selective agreement crowd who pick and choose what Jesus said that they like and dislike.

The real challenge — and BASIC assignment— of a disciple of Jesus is to take Him at His word, live by His teaching, and seek His power for transformation in areas that we are not in agreement with Him.

These are the very next words Jesus spoke to His disciples:
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.
28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." - Matthew 16:24-28 (ESV)

Beloved, we who claim to know God must take heed to this things, and I believe we all better consider our ways.