New Glasses
When Peter rebuked Jesus for describing the kind of death He would face, Jesus replied with a rebuke as well as a nugget of wisdom.
But Jesus turned away from Peter and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are in My way [an offense and a hindrance and a snare to Me]; for you are minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men.
Matt. 16:23 Amplified
Peter was looking at Jesus' impending death from his own perspective only. The reply that Jesus gives teaches him and us to pay attention to how we view things. Basically, Jesus is saying to get a new pair of glasses and look at things from God's point of view instead of your own.
God sees life and this world differently than we do. He knows what is ahead and what we need. Because He is love and just and merciful, God's reactions to people and situations are usually not what we expect.
One of the challenges we face in this world is learning not to rely on our own understanding of things and instead learning to rely on God's perfect plan and purpose (Prov. 3:5-6). This can be extremely difficult when we think someone deserves retaliation or when we don't understand yet the purpose for our sorrow. This is why our faith is so important. It is our faith in God that allows us to see things like He does. It is our faith that corrects our vision and understanding so that we can respond like Christ.
There have been many times that I have gone to God and said, "Look, I don't understand. This hurts me and I need your help to get through. This is how I see the situation and this is what I want done but more than that, I want your perfect will to be done." While my emotions or understanding of the situation did not change immediately, I was able to move forward letting my trust in God lead me.
Notice also in this verse that Jesus says Peter is "in His way." When we refuse to see things the way God does, we get in His way and become a hindrance. In doing so, we not only limit ourselves but also the people around us from experiencing the goodness of God.
God has promised that all things work together for our good (Romans 8:28) and in keeping that in mind, we are able to wear the glasses of faith that help us see things the way God does.
Heidirn
But Jesus turned away from Peter and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are in My way [an offense and a hindrance and a snare to Me]; for you are minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men.
Matt. 16:23 Amplified
Peter was looking at Jesus' impending death from his own perspective only. The reply that Jesus gives teaches him and us to pay attention to how we view things. Basically, Jesus is saying to get a new pair of glasses and look at things from God's point of view instead of your own.
God sees life and this world differently than we do. He knows what is ahead and what we need. Because He is love and just and merciful, God's reactions to people and situations are usually not what we expect.
One of the challenges we face in this world is learning not to rely on our own understanding of things and instead learning to rely on God's perfect plan and purpose (Prov. 3:5-6). This can be extremely difficult when we think someone deserves retaliation or when we don't understand yet the purpose for our sorrow. This is why our faith is so important. It is our faith in God that allows us to see things like He does. It is our faith that corrects our vision and understanding so that we can respond like Christ.
There have been many times that I have gone to God and said, "Look, I don't understand. This hurts me and I need your help to get through. This is how I see the situation and this is what I want done but more than that, I want your perfect will to be done." While my emotions or understanding of the situation did not change immediately, I was able to move forward letting my trust in God lead me.
Notice also in this verse that Jesus says Peter is "in His way." When we refuse to see things the way God does, we get in His way and become a hindrance. In doing so, we not only limit ourselves but also the people around us from experiencing the goodness of God.
God has promised that all things work together for our good (Romans 8:28) and in keeping that in mind, we are able to wear the glasses of faith that help us see things the way God does.
Heidirn
Comments
Post a Comment