Matthew 16:23. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Notice the contrast between the 18th verse and the 23rd. In the 18th verse, Christ had said, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church;" and here he is saying, "Get thee behind me, Satan." I do not understand our Lord to have called Peter Satan, but to have looked right through Peter, and to have seen Satan standing behind him, and making use of the apostle to be his spokesman. The best of men may sometimes serve the devil’s turn better than a bad man would. He may speak, through those who love the Lord, words which are clean contrary to the mind of Christ. So Christ sees Satan lurking, as in an entrenchment, behind Peter, and he says, "Get thee behind me: thou art an offence unto me." The idea of pitying himself-the thought of shirking the task upon which he had entered-was offensive to him. There was a savor about it of the things of men,-of self and of self-saving, instead of self-denial, and generous, disinterested, Godlike self-sacrifice. Oh, that we would always speak, as Christ did on this occasion, whenever anything is proposed to us by which we should avoid the cross that he intends us to carry! When anyone wants us to moderate our zeal, or to tone down our opinions, less we should have to suffer for our faithfulness, let us reply, "Get thee behind me, Satan." What has a soldier of the cross to do with avoiding the battle with evil? He should be ever ready for the good fight of faith. What has an heir of heaven to do with the saving of himself? Let him say, with the apostle Paul, "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord."
This exposition consisted of readings from Isaiah 40.; and Matthew 16:21-23.
Matthew 16:23. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Notice the contrast between the 18th verse and the 23rd. In the 18th verse, Christ had said, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church;" and here he is saying, "Get thee behind me, Satan." I do not understand our Lord to have called Peter Satan, but to have looked right through Peter, and to have seen Satan standing behind him, and making use of the apostle to be his spokesman. The best of men may sometimes serve the devil’s turn better than a bad man would. He may speak, through those who love the Lord, words which are clean contrary to the mind of Christ. So Christ sees Satan lurking, as in an entrenchment, behind Peter, and he says, "Get thee behind me: thou art an offence unto me." The idea of pitying himself-the thought of shirking the task upon which he had entered-was offensive to him. There was a savor about it of the things of men,-of self and of self-saving, instead of self-denial, and generous, disinterested, Godlike self-sacrifice. Oh, that we would always speak, as Christ did on this occasion, whenever anything is proposed to us by which we should avoid the cross that he intends us to carry! When anyone wants us to moderate our zeal, or to tone down our opinions, less we should have to suffer for our faithfulness, let us reply, "Get thee behind me, Satan." What has a soldier of the cross to do with avoiding the battle with evil? He should be ever ready for the good fight of faith. What has an heir of heaven to do with the saving of himself? Let him say, with the apostle Paul, "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord."
This exposition consisted of readings from Isaiah 40.; and Matthew 16:21-23.