THURSDAY, March 19
Mark 8:27—9:1

He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” — Mark 8:29a

The tone of Mark’s Gospel changes dramatically at this point from the exuberant joy of crowds and miracles to a sober warning of suffering and death. Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah, and Jesus then tells the disciples that he must face rejection, be killed and rise again.

After this shocking revelation, Peter takes Jesus aside and rebukes him. This story is also told in Matthew, where Peter says, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you” (Matthew 16:22b). Jesus responds by rebuking Peter harshly: “Get behind me, Satan!” Peter is doing what any good friend would do, but Jesus reminds him that the concerns of God do not conform to the limits of human thought.

Whenever I ask for God’s help with a tough situation, I intentionally visualize what I want, I visualize five other possible outcomes and then I leave a space for the Holy Spirit. Over the years, I have realized that if I cling too tightly to my own version of the outcome, I am rigidly following my own will instead of submitting to the will of God. Whenever I remember to leave room for God’s plan, God always comes up with a much better solution than I ever could.

Peter loves his friend Jesus. He does not want him to suffer and die. He wants to do everything in his power to protect Jesus from this terrible fate. Even though Peter is acting out of love, Jesus admonishes him, reminding him that God’s will must be done. Peter’s own will, in this situation, is set against God’s plan just as Satan and the forces of destruction are set against it. All of us want to prevent bad things from happening, but we often fail to recognize how everything we encounter, both good and bad, is part of God’s larger, eternal story.