Continuing our journey through Matthew, chapters 14-16 include some familiar stories about Jesus and His followers: the devastating beheading of John the Baptist, Jesus feeding crowds of 5000 and 4000, Jesus and Peter walking on the waves during a storm. They also include multiple healings and deep expressions of faith from Gentiles contrasted with hard hearts of the Pharisees.
Chapter 16 includes two significant conversations between Peter and Jesus that show a sharp contrast. First Jesus asks His disciples “Who do people say the son of man is?” They list off a variety of answers: “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (16:13-14, NIV)
Next, Jesus probes a level deeper: “’But what about you? Who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’” (16:15-16, NIV) Jesus affirms Peter’s response: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (16:17-18, NIV)
Tara Leigh Cobble explains, “The rock that the Church would be built on isn’t Peter. It can’t be; Peter is a pebble. The mountain-rock that the Church would be built on was the truth that Peter confessed…While Jesus affirmed Peter’s statement of faith, this moment really wasn’t about Peter at all— it was about King Jesus the Messiah, the Son of Man, the foundation of our faith.”1
Not long after this, Jesus begins explaining that He will suffer at the hands of the chief priest, that He will be killed and then raised back to life. Dismayed, Peter pulls Jesus aside and reprimands Him saying, “Never, Lord…This shall never happen to you!” Jesus responds with a sharp rebuke: “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” (Matthew 16:23, NIV)
The pivot from affirming Peter for his faith to calling him an adversary and a stumbling block highlights Christ’s ultimate purpose. “Jesus was saying that the way of the cross was God’s will, the plan of redemption for all mankind…Peter was inadvertently being used of Satan in thinking he was protecting Jesus…He had not yet grasped Jesus’ true Messianic purpose. Although Peter had just moments before declared Jesus as the Christ, he turned from God’s perspective and viewed the situation from man’s perspective, which brought about the stern rebuke”2
This interaction prompts me to consider when I’m viewing a situation from my perspective instead of God’s. When do I allow a stumbling block to derail me from the Lord’s purposes? When have I become a hindrance for someone else?
Most of us have a natural instinct to protect and comfort those we love, but there are times we insert ourselves where we don’t belong. Instead of helping, we become an impediment to growth. Here are words of wisdom I’ve gleaned over the years:
-Don’t steal the struggle. I learned this from a friend and it reminds me that rushing to help/ rescue someone who needs to contend with God can short-circuit their spiritual growth. When a spouse, son, daughter, grandchild or close friend is grappling with something they need to learn and we rush in to fix the situation, we may unintentionally prolong the struggle, prevent learning, or avert them from encountering the Lord personally.
-Don’t over-function. Author and pastor Pete Scezzerro defines this as doing for others what they could and should be doing for themselves.3 Spoon feeding those who have the capacity to hold their own utensils prevents growth. It’s possible we’re taking more ownership for them than we should be and derailing the maturing process.
-Beware of assuming everything painful is bad. Struggles and challenges that we find difficult and want to avoid may be the very tools God uses to refine and transform us. “Great temptations can come from those who love us and seek to protect us. Be cautious of advice from a friend who says, ‘surely God doesn’t want you to face this.’ Often our most difficult temptations come from those who are only trying to protect us from discomfort.”4
-Don’t squelch the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Lisa Chan, wife of pastor Francis Chan, shared this at an event I attended many years ago. In our desire to give comfort and reassure, we offer reasonable explanations instead of letting people grieve their sin and repent. Consider where you’re tempted to excuse sin in yourself or others by rationalizing or aligning with practices in our current culture.
“If Jesus hadn’t suffered and died, Peter (and we) would have died in his sins…Satan is always trying to get us to leave God out of the picture. Jesus rebuked Peter for this attitude.”5 Let’s pray for discernment to know when people we love need to wrestle with the Lord without our intervention. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you if you’re stealing the struggle, over functioning, prioritizing comfort over growth, or squelching spiritual conviction. Whether it’s a stumbling block to you or someone you love, let’s stop trying so hard on our own strength and give it over to the Lord instead.
Matthew’s gospel shows us the disciples didn’t always get it right, but they remained humble and teachable, growing stronger and wiser all the time. May the same be said of us.
You can follow along with our study by ordering your copy of Tara Leigh Cobble’s Knowing Jesus as King.
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- Tara Leigh Cobble, Knowing Jesus as King, Bethany House 2024, 122-123
- “Why Did Jesus say to Peter, ‘Get behind me Satan’”, Got Questions.org
- Pete Scezzero, “Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast”
- NIV Life Application Study Bible, Zondervan, 1988, 1686
- ibid