followers of Jesus - 6th week thursday 2019

Peter was rebuked and was told to get behind Jesus.  To go behind means to follow, it is the natural position of one who follows.  It is therefore the proper position of a follower or a disciple – to get behind. Peter was rebuked because he forgot his proper place, that he should not be in front to lead, but at the back in order to follow.  We too forget this most often.  We direct God rather than allow God to direct us.  We plead and even demand that god listens to what we want instead of us listening to what he wills.  We ask God to listen to us but we seldom make enough effort to listen to his voice.  We want to control him rather than subject ourselves so as to be guided and molded by him.  We have the same attitude with Peter.  We do not know where we stand because we are leading God rather than permit ourselves to be led by God.

  

Peter loved Jesus so much.  He cared for him, and just like us when we care for the people we love, Peter does not want Jesus to suffer and to die.  But with Jesus rebuking Peter we are being told that not all our good intentions are actualizations of God’s will.  Sometimes embracing the difficult and the painful may actually be the more appropriate response to God’s will.  Peter may not have liked it.  

So also in our life.  We may have the best reasons for avoiding pain, we may have the best argument to back us up, it may even be the most practical thing to do but have we considered dutifully whether this is what God wants.  This episode in the gospel is a reminder for us that we are followers. We are not leading Jesus.  We are following him and so it is best to know where we stand that like Peter we should get behind and follow.