Daily Bread

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’

Poor Peter, he was so keen! He was the first to speak and say what he and others were thinking, and I can only imagine his crestfallen face when Jesus rebuked him (especially after being told such incredible news). It was bad enough to be called names, but to be called Satan? Ouch, that must have hurt.

You see, there is a flow of divine love and it is in one direction — to be be selfless, sacrificial, and always looking away from self-interest and to the interests of others — and as Christians, we get caught up in this flow, and are called to be like God. Anything that goes against this flow is like a rock in a river that creates eddies, currents, and disturbances. Peter, the one who had been called a 'rock' discovered that even he could be this kind of stumbling-block to God.

When Jesus called Peter 'Satan', Peter was not literally Satan, but Satan was a metaphor for all that would try to prevent or inhibit the flow of God's love in the world. Instead of being in front of Jesus, blocking his path, Jesus told him to, "get behind me."

The way of love is often not as we would expect. Sometimes it is irrational, and to discern it we need to set our mind on 'divine things', in other words, listen to the Holy Spirit. Of course, God gives us a choice. We can stand in the river of God's love and try and push back against it, or we surrender and go with the flow. Today, perhaps say sorry to God for when you have been a 'stumbling block' and recommit to the way of God's divine love.

Holy God
Forgive me when I have
been a stumbling block
in the way of
your divine love.
Help me listen to
your Holy Spirit,
and discern the way
of selflessness and
generosity towards others
and the world around me.