Get Behind Me!
Sunday’s Verse:
From Matthew 16:23 ESV
But (Jesus) 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.”
In last weekend’s Gospel reading, Peter had declared Jesus to be “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” But this week, when Jesus talked about going to suffer, die, and rise again, Peter spoke up against it. He wanted a Messiah who displayed power, triumph, and glory—but not a Messiah who would die upon a cross.
Jesus’ stinging response reveals just how much human reasoning can oppose God’s plan of salvation. Peter loved Jesus; he just didn’t realize that the cross was not a sign of weakness or a failed mission. It was the very center of Christ’s mission. On the cross Jesus would take the punishment our sins deserve, defeat death, and reconcile us to God.
Too often, we think like Peter. We desire a faith that spares us from pain, a Savior who miraculously fixes every current difficulty, and a relationship with God that is void of any crosses. But again, Christ summons us to take every thought captive and to think, not about what’s reasonable to us, but about the mysteries of God revealed in Christ—the Messiah who loved us and gave Himself up for us on the cross.
There our defeats are transformed into victory, our weaknesses give way to God’s power for salvation. Through grace, Jesus takes our eyes off ourselves and sets them firmly on Him.
✝️ A Prayer for Today:
Lord Jesus Christ, thank You that You do not leave us in our sinful desires. Forgive us when we despise Your path of the cross and seek only what we think we want. Redirect our hearts and minds toward You and the things of God. Preserve us in the faith, always trusting that Your suffering and death secure forgiveness, life, and salvation for us. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
The photo above was licensed through Unsplash+