From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” – Matthew 16:21-23
I was only trying to help… this is something that I don’t enjoy having to say. It usually means that I’ve gotten myself into a situation that didn’t involve me, and instead of making things better, I’ve made them even worse. At some point we’ve all been there, that moment when we realize that our best intentions have turned into a complete mess of things.
I think Peter was familiar with this on more than one occasion. Malchus (the man whose ear was cut off by Peter during Jesus’ arrest later on) would probably agree.
Peter had just recognized Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. But as soon as Jesus spoke about suffering and death, Peter’s understanding clashed with God’s plan. In Peter’s mind, a Messiah meant a victorious king, not one who would suffer and die. So, he stepped in, thinking he was doing the right thing by protecting Jesus.
Jesus’ response, though sharp, was purposeful. “Get behind me, Satan!” He wasn’t calling Peter the devil, but he was calling out Peter’s human thinking, which stood in fierce opposition to God’s redemptive plan. Jesus knew the path He had to take, and He needed His disciples to follow, not try to lead Him in a way that made sense to them.
It’s a strong reminder for us that we can have good intentions yet still misunderstand God’s purposes. Our human instincts often lean toward comfort, safety, security, and avoiding hardship, but God’s ways often involve sacrifice and challenge. When we’re faced with difficult circumstances or plans that don’t make sense to us, God asks us to get behind Him and trust Him, not to assume that our way is better.
Is there a situation in your life where you’re asking Jesus to follow your plan instead of following His? If so, take a moment today to bring that to Him, trusting that His ways are higher than ours. Pray for the humility to say, “Lord, I will follow wherever You lead.”
Have thine own way, Lord!
Have thine own way!
Thou art the potter,
I am the clay.
Mold me and make me
after thy will,
while I am waiting,
yielded and still.
“Have Thine Own Way, Lord” – Adelaide A. Pollard (1906)
Former Blackout Artist 