Then Jesus began to teach his disciples: “The Human One must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and the legal experts, and be killed, and then, after three days, rise from the dead.” He said this plainly. But Peter took hold of Jesus and, scolding him, began to correct him. Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, then sternly corrected Peter: “Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts.” After calling the crowd together with his disciples, Jesus said to them, “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me and because of the good news will save them. Why would people gain the whole world but lose their lives? What will people give in exchange for their lives? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this unfaithful and sinful generation, the Human One will be ashamed of that person when he comes in the Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:31-38, CEB)
I love this text. Jesus says to Peter, “ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, σατανᾶ.” Get Behind me, Satan. Because Peter was trying to dictate how things were going to go and what the plan was. Like he knew better than God what should happen. The thing I really love about this text is the phrase, ὀπίσω μου. Behind me in our text today. But in Mark 1:17 we see this same phrase, ὀπίσω μου, and there it is translated as Follow me.
The words Jesus used to call the disciples to follow him are the same words he says to Peter to rebuke him. Basically in Pastor Jerry’s understanding, this is a know-your-place. You are to be behind me. I have told congregations and classes before that if you do not see the back of Jesus’ head you are in the wrong spot. Maybe the pictures we have of Jesus in our congregations and homes should be the back of his head.
Jesus is the one leading. God is in control, not us. When we think we know better we should hear, “ὀπίσω μου” and know our place.
Remember who is leading, and be a light to the world.
Love Like Jesus.
ὀπίσω μου
Loving People. Loving God.
aSacredRebel 