When Bold Is Uncomfortable…? Yet Important.

“He [Jesus] began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things (…) and that he must be killed (…) Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Mark 8:31-33 NIV

Ouch! Now, if this isn’t a bold reply, I don’t know what is!

For many years, I strongly disliked this verse. As a good little Canadian, I saw Jesus’ reply as quite rude, to say the least. If anything, Jesus should have thanked Peter for caring! If I had been a disciple, I would have been the first person to say, “No Jesus! Don’t die! I don’t want you to suffer and die!”

My strong disdain for this verse persisted for a long time until one day; a Holy Spirit inspired lightbulb turned on. Suddenly I saw this verse in an entirely new light and found a deep appreciation for it.

You see, for the longest time, well-intended people would try to give me advice while my prayers went unanswered. They would suggest that I probably did not pray hard enough, or have enough faith, or read enough Scripture or listen to the correct worship songs WHILE reading more Scripture and praying harder, etc. Unfortunately, these words would unleash spiritual warfare and heavy condemnation across my soul every single time. They were well-intended, I’m sure. These people simply wanted to see my prayers answered. Nothing wrong with that. But unfortunately, these words of friendly, albeit misguided, advice would put the “onus” on me to work harder, as if the right amount of effort on my behalf could earn God’s answer to my prayers.

This went on for a very, very long time. Until one day I had yet another piece of friendly advice that opened the door to yet another wave of condemnation, but this time I felt God spoke to my heart and closed that door. I felt God say that the expectation was on Him, not on me. I did not have to jump through hoops but simply rely on Him. He also gave me the verse I had disliked for so many years, Mark 8:33. Suddenly, that verse came to life and made sense! My friendly advice-givers were just like Peter, who loved Jesus and had good intentions but ultimately were more preoccupied with “merely human concerns”. That very bold statement “get behind me Satan” suddenly sounded liberating, instead of being odd and rude. What once seemed uncomfortable now had the power to permanently close the door to condemnation which freed me to place my confidence in God alone.

Fortunately for us, we serve a good God. Even His most bold and uncomfortable statements lead to life.

Something to Ponder Further….

I think it would be one of my worst fears to be told, “get behind me Satan”. Ouch! That verse has been freeing in my own life, but I admit I still wince a little for poor Peter every time I read it. And yet, I often miss the mark myself and don’t “have in mind the concerns of God”. How many times have I been more concerned by human matters instead of godly ones? How many times did I worry about people’s opinions over God’s calling? How many times did I set out on my own instead of seeking God for guidance? How many times did I try to force my own way without even thinking about praying? How many times did I think the ‘onus’ was all on me without trusting God to provide for all my needs? How many times have I been more concerned about what I considered to be ‘good timing’ rather than wanting His will and His perfect timing? How many times did I prefer my own way instead of trusting God? Ouch.

Heavenly Father, you know my heart leans towards mere human concerns more often than not. Thank you for your unfailing love and patience as you boldly pursue my wayward heart. Thank you that your concerns always lead me to life and freedom, and relying on you is always the best decision I make. Please renew my heart so I can be passionate about boldly pursuing your concerns with every decision I make today. In Jesus’ name, amen!