He Was Loyal in the Face of Tests - Loyal When Corrected-Conclusion

 However, Jesus later stated that thsoe given much would have more to answer for, and the truth of those words is borne  out in Peter's case.  (Luke 12:48)  Jesus continued to reveal vital truths about the Messiah, including the certainty of his own impending suffering and death at Jerusalem.  Peter was disturbed  to hear such things. He took Jesus aside and rebuked him, saying:  "Be kind  to yourself, Lord, you will not have this destiny at all. - MATTHEW 16:21, 22.

Peter surely meant well, so Jesus' reply must have come at a surprise. He turned his back on Peter, looked a the rest of his disciples-who had likely been thinking somehing similar-and said: "Get behind me, Satan!  You are a stumbling block to me, because you think, not God's thoughts, but those of men." (Matthew 16:23; Mark 8:32, 33)  Jesus' words contained practical counsel for us all.  It is only too easy to allow human thinking to take priority over godly thinking. If we do so, even when we mean to help, we may inadvertently become proponents of Satan's purpose rather than God's.  How, though, did Peter respond?

Peter  must have realized that Jesus was not calling him Satan the Devil in any literal sense. After all, Jesus did not speak to Peter as he had to Satan.  To Satan, Jesus said: "Go away";  to Peter, he said: "Get behind me." (Matthew 4:10) Jesus did not cast off this apostle in whom he saw a great deal of good, but he simply corrected Peter's wrong thinking in this matter. It is not hard to see that Peter needed  to stop getting in front of the Master as a stubling block and needed to get behind him as a supportive follower. 

Did Peter argue, get angry, or sulk?  No; He humbly accepted correction. He thus demonstrated loyalty again. All those who follow Christ  will need correction at times. Only if we humbly acccept discipline and learn from it can we continue to grow closer to Jesus Christ and his Father, Jehovah God. - Read PROVERBS 4:13. 

Next time: He Was Loyal in the Face of Tests - Loyalty Rewarded

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