And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Mark 8:31-33)

The Mind Of Man Is Not The Mind Of God

Peter was an impetuous person with an independent streak of stubbornness that often put him at odds with Jesus’ purpose and mission. As a disciple of the Son of God, Peter was deeply devoted to Jesus’ work. There were few disciples as loyal as the man called Simon. He was a fisherman who spent many hours at his craft in harsh, challenging places, trying to provide for his family. Fishing was a job requiring courage, tenacity, and a hardened spirit. Peter was all of those and more. Few of those who followed Jesus could grasp the full meaning of His work. Much of what Jesus came to do was hidden from the minds of men. Many disciples thought Jesus would restore the kingdom of God to Israel.

In the final year of His ministry, Jesus spoke openly about the fulfillment of His mission. He had only been preaching for a little over two years when the language changed to the message of the suffering Servant. Jesus began to teach the multitudes that He would suffer many things in the coming months. He would be betrayed into the hands of His enemies, and they would kill him. They would mock Him, scourge Him, and spit on Him, and be delivered to the Gentiles (Romans) to be put to death. The disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying and were afraid to ask Him. Peter decided to take matters into his own hands because it was obvious to him that Jesus did not know what He was talking about.

Earlier, Jesus had asked His disciples who men said that He was. Peter had proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, and Jesus commended Peter for his bold declaration. Soon after, when Jesus began to teach them that He would suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, Peter took it upon himself to take Jesus aside from the other apostles and openly rebuke Him. The scene could not have been of any greater parallels. Peter, an apostle of Jesus who just declared that Jesus was the Son of God, a divine being proven to be the Messiah by the miracles, signs, and wonders; and Jesus, standing off to the side, being berated by one of His disciples that He did not know what He was saying.

Peter was reprimanding Jesus for talking about His suffering from the Jewish leaders, and that Jesus did not know what He was talking about and should stop telling the other disciples such things. Man telling God that God does not know what He is doing. Peter forbade Jesus from talking like that. Where did Peter find such boldness to openly rebuke and challenge the word of God in the face of the one he declared to be the Son of God? Jesus answered the question when He turned to the other disciples and rebuked Peter in their presence. What Peter was doing was trying to tell God how to do His work. It seemed that Peter knew better how to do the Lord’s work than the Lord.

The failure of religion has always been when men think they know better than God. Biblical history is filled with those who decided they knew better how to accomplish the will of the Lord than the Lord Himself. They all failed. The problem with modern church theology is that men reject the word of God for their own wisdom, apparently because God does not understand the contemporary mind or what people long for. Communities are filled with churches of various faiths, beliefs, and practices because people want to worship God in ways that suit them. It is as if religious leaders, like Peter, take God off to the side and rebuke Him for not understanding the modern mind. It does not matter what the word of God says. What matters is what the hearts of men believe.

Peter failed his Lord that day because he was mindful of what he thought was the best course of action for Jesus. The Lord firmly rebuked Peter in the presence of others to show Peter and the rest of the disciples that there is one word, one faith, one Lord, and one way. If the religious world does not wake up to the reality of the unity of the faith under the banner of one Lord, they will perish in their ignorance and lead the masses to an eternal perdition. Human wisdom can never trump the wisdom of God and be successful. Let anyone beware who decides to tell God He does not know what He is doing.