31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and *said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” 34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 35 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” ~ Mark 8:31-38 (NASB)
Peter thought he knew better than Jesus. Because he couldn’t understand God’s plan for Jesus to suffer and be killed, he tried to hush Jesus when He talked about His coming death. Yet Jesus rebuked Peter for looking through man’s eyes, tempted by Satan, rather than trusting implicitly in God. It’s easy to look at Peter and condemn him, but how often are we arrogant enough to think we know best. “How could You let a little child suffer so?” we cry. “Why are You allowing that family to go through such misery?” we ask. We need to remember that it’s not our place to question God.
Lord, God, although I don’t understand, I can trust that Your eternal plan is perfect and pure. What I see as evil, You plan for good. Above all, Lord, help me to revere You as the Creator and Ruler of the Universe. I am sinning against You when I think in my human ignorance that I know better the Holy, Omniscient, Omnipresent Lord of the Universe. Forgive me, Father, and lead me in the path of truth. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
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