When ever you read an
article online it is not unusual to see some words in blue and underlined. This
is a hyperlink and replaces the footnote of printed material.
When we come to read the
Bible, it is good if we have this idea in our mind. Some Bibles already do
this, commonly called Chain Link Reference Bibles.
However sometimes there are words and phrases that have no direct link and yet if you are an alert reader you will notice a link.
Take for example, “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.” Matt 16.23
Put that in context. Peter
has just announced and declared Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus accepts
this and says that this was revealed to Peter by God.
Jesus replied, “Blessed
are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and
blood, but by my Father in heaven.”
This is a pivotal moment of
recognition of Jesus’ vocation.
And immediately after this
revelation there is the voice of Satan trying to divert him away from this
vocation and using Peter as a mouthpiece.
“Peter took him aside and
began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
Where have we seen this before? At Jesus’ baptism when the Spirit came upon Jesus and a voice proclaimed him to be God’s Son.
As soon as Jesus was
baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was
opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and
alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my
Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
And then do you remember
what happened next?
Jesus was driven out into the wilderness and faced the Satan who tried to turn him away from his vocation.
“Then
was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”
And if we know our
Scriptures well this story of following the will and way of God or choosing our
own path has a core story.
It is found way back in the
opening pages in the book of Genesis and the story of the first human couple.
Jesus gives us the way and words to rebuff temptations.
“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.” Matt 16.23
Something Paul knows about. In Romans 12.1-2 we read, “With eyes wide
open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers and sisters, as an act of
intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice,
consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don’t let the world around you
squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so
that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all
his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.”
I have heard it said that we
need to let Jesus into the driving seat so he can take control of our lives.
I think that analogy
requires a bit of tweaking.
Instead of Jesus being in the driver’s seat let’s put him the passenger seat as a co-driver in a rally car. The job of the co-driver is to be acutely aware of what lies up ahead and get that information to the driver so they can make the right adjustments of steering, thrust, gears and brakes, etc.
That’s more dynamic and
invites us to grow in trust of our co-driver rather than merely being taken
along for a ride.
But there also another
passenger, a back seat driver. And they are also advising you to go in this or
that direction. We need to learn to discern that voice and say clearly ‘get
behind me Satan’ you are trying to detract me and turn me of my course and turn
me away from my God given vocation.
Once we have understood and
grasped this we are then ready to go for the drive of our lives!
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