Tug O’ War Series
In Matthew 16 Jesus begins to share of his near future sufferings and death. Peter rebuked him and said “Never Lord!” Peter had one outcome in mind and Jesus had quite another.
“It is not hard to grasp at particular outcomes, especially outcomes that we know to be worth pursuing. Even if Peter was the only one to voice it, the other disciples must have been equally dismayed by the events Jesus spoke of. Suffering and death are outcomes to be avoided.
Poor unsuspecting Peter thought he was just looking out for Jesus. But the next thing he knew Jesus was calling him Satan. Peter’s mistake was in grasping after an outcome instead of a Savior.”
God willed that sacrifice would save. God gave His Son… a supreme sacrifice. The outcome Peter would have chosen was incomplete and less than sufficient. “Peter wanted to keep Jesus from harm but in choosing to stand in Jesus’ way and negotiate an outcome more to his liking, Peter positioned himself as the leader, not the follower. I suspect that all of us who bear Christ’s name can identify with Peter’s mistake.”
Kadee Wirick Smedley, Folio
Peter was grasping for his desired outcome rather than grasping for His Savior. Thank you, God, for teaching us throughthis tidbit in Peter’s life that is written in Your Word. Peter: Your servant, Your follower, Your created, Your friend (just like us). Yet another knee-jerk reaction that Peter displayed that many of us would display as we attempt to love and support those around us. Thanks, Pastor John, in allowing the Spirit to guide you to bring this message of shifting our eyes and our heart to the Savior rather than to our own non-all-knowing expected, desired, and anticipated outcome.