Last Sunday, Peter made a beautiful profession of faith: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus acknowledged that it was not flesh and blood that revealed that to him, but His heavenly Father. Jesus affirmed Peter as the rock on which He builds His Church, giving him the keys to the Kingdom. This Sunday, however, the same Peter hears some of the strongest words Jesus ever addressed to one of his disciples: “Get behind me, Satan!”
What happened to Peter? Peter loved Jesus. He did not want to see his Master suffer. When Jesus announced that he would go to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, and be raised on the third day, Peter could not accept it. His instinct was understandable: “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”
But Jesus saw something deeper. Peter was trying to separate Jesus from the cross. He wanted a Messiah without suffering, victory without sacrifice, Easter Sunday without Good Friday. Jesus therefore tells him, “You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
This is an important warning for every Christian. Sometimes we love God, but we want God to follow our plan. We pray for God to remove every difficulty, every cross, every sacrifice. But the Gospel reminds us that Christianity is not about having a comfortable life; it is about following Christ. Jesus says plainly: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”
The cross is not something we seek for its own sake. Rather, when love demands sacrifice, when faithfulness becomes difficult, when trusting God seem ridiculous, when forgiveness costs us something, when serving others requires us to put ourselves second, that is where discipleship becomes real.
There is also a subtle lesson in Jesus' words to Peter: “Get behind me.” Jesus is not telling Peter to leave him. He is telling him to get back into the proper place - behind Jesus. Peter had momentarily tried to get in front of Jesus and determine the path. A disciple does not lead Christ; a disciple follows Christ. Perhaps that is the question we need to ask ourselves this week: Am I following Jesus, or am I asking Jesus to follow me?
When the cross appears in our lives, may we not run away from Christ. May we place ourselves behind him, trust his wisdom, carry our cross with faith, and follow him wherever he leads.
God is good, all the time!
Father Tony Udoh, MSP
Pastor of Holy Family
