Peter gets it wrong and Jesus gets angry
Jesus was angry with Peter. He spoke his anger aloud, denouncing Peter, calling him a stumbling block and accusing him of working on behalf of Satan. Some people are surprised by this, because they think that anger is a sin. It can't be sinful because God himself is described as being angry. The prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel describe him as being furious with the sins of certain nations.
Jesus knew why he was angry. Some of us when we get angry are rather confused, we know what made us angry but cannot explain why it did so. Jesus explains what has angered him in three short sentences. Peter is not following Jesus, Peter is trying to interfere with the decision Jesus has made, Peter has got his mind fixed in the wrong direction.
Jesus is redemptive in his anger because he expresses both his anger and the reason for it, showing Peter what Peter has to change. If Peter changes those things, then Jesus is no longer angry. Peter has been restored to divine acceptance. He has been made aware of the mistakes he was making and rescued from the consequence of them. So even the anger of God
serves his good purposes towards us.
Parents, pastors and conscientious people get angry when something other than good is being practiced or contemplated. We speak up and speak out, denouncing the destructive actions. The result is that children, congregations and society are surprised, even offended. They had believed that our duties were limited to acceptance and affirmation. We can continue to speak up or we can become silent but silence in the face of danger is not redemptive. Jesus preached that God is willing to accept us and invites us to share in all the goodness of God. However Jesus also warned people and denounced certain kinds of conduct. He was angry when people were callous towards human suffering and he clearly demonstrated his anger towards religious people who corrupted religion for their personal profit and power.
It is interesting that people are willing to read all the warnings about health risks, and will spend hours investigating financial risks but the same people will raise their voice in anger if someone warns them about the risk of offending God.
Jesus needs to speak firmly because he has chosen martyrdom and it is essential that he concentrate all his thoughts on his purpose and plan. Any distraction will make it harder for him to carry out his intention. Peter cannot understand that; because he does not know what will happen in Jerusalem in a few weeks. His other offence is almost as hard for him to understand: Jesus tells him that he has got his mind fixed in the wrong direction, he is thinking about earthly things instead of divine things. At first sight this seems a bit like telling fish hatched and living in a small gold-fish tank that they must think about the ocean.
Matthew 16:21-28[21] From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. [22] And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you." [23] But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."
Jesus knew why he was angry. Some of us when we get angry are rather confused, we know what made us angry but cannot explain why it did so. Jesus explains what has angered him in three short sentences. Peter is not following Jesus, Peter is trying to interfere with the decision Jesus has made, Peter has got his mind fixed in the wrong direction.
Jesus is redemptive in his anger because he expresses both his anger and the reason for it, showing Peter what Peter has to change. If Peter changes those things, then Jesus is no longer angry. Peter has been restored to divine acceptance. He has been made aware of the mistakes he was making and rescued from the consequence of them. So even the anger of God
serves his good purposes towards us.
Parents, pastors and conscientious people get angry when something other than good is being practiced or contemplated. We speak up and speak out, denouncing the destructive actions. The result is that children, congregations and society are surprised, even offended. They had believed that our duties were limited to acceptance and affirmation. We can continue to speak up or we can become silent but silence in the face of danger is not redemptive. Jesus preached that God is willing to accept us and invites us to share in all the goodness of God. However Jesus also warned people and denounced certain kinds of conduct. He was angry when people were callous towards human suffering and he clearly demonstrated his anger towards religious people who corrupted religion for their personal profit and power.
It is interesting that people are willing to read all the warnings about health risks, and will spend hours investigating financial risks but the same people will raise their voice in anger if someone warns them about the risk of offending God.
Jesus needs to speak firmly because he has chosen martyrdom and it is essential that he concentrate all his thoughts on his purpose and plan. Any distraction will make it harder for him to carry out his intention. Peter cannot understand that; because he does not know what will happen in Jerusalem in a few weeks. His other offence is almost as hard for him to understand: Jesus tells him that he has got his mind fixed in the wrong direction, he is thinking about earthly things instead of divine things. At first sight this seems a bit like telling fish hatched and living in a small gold-fish tank that they must think about the ocean.
Matthew 16:21-28[21] From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. [22] And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you." [23] But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."
Labels: divine anger
posted by Jessie Coates at 1:47 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home