Wow! Did Peter have some guts to tell Jesus off?!?! Look at Matthew 16:21-23, “Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from 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, ‘Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’” Jesus began explaining to his disciples that He had to die so that man could live. Peter would have none of that and told Christ how stupid His logic was. Jesus sternly replied to Peter that he was thinking like the god of this world, Satan, and that his mindset was “a hindrance” to kingdom thinking. “You are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
1 John 2:16 sums up the logic of this world, “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.” The “desires of the flesh” are focused on self-gratifications in this world. The “desires of the eyes” appeals to self-interest. The “pride of life” stresses self-promotion and self-exaltation. The logic of the world is all about me, myself, and I. Jesus forcefully tells Peter that this mindset is worthless, a “hindrance” to God, and to have none of it.
Matthew 16:24-26 explains the mindset of God, “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” Jesus explains to His disciples whoever follows Him and lives in His kingdom must:
- “deny himself”, no longer living selfishly.
- “take up his cross”, dead to self and committed wholeheartedly to God.
- “follow me”, life is no longer living out your agenda but His will.
Then Jesus makes several amazing, eye opening, eternal impacting comments:
- “Whoever would save his life will lose it.”
- “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
- “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”
- “What shall a man give in return for his soul?
Set your mind daily on Jesus not the world, and your life will never be the same. Upside Down Becomes Right Side Up.
Barnabas Man 