These words were spoken by Jesus to Peter, one of His apostles. What would make Jesus utter such a strong rebuke? Surely it must have been a terrible thing Peter had said or done that Jesus would call him "Satan". What could have been so bad that Peter deserved such words?

Well, what it was was simply that after Jesus had told the apostles that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, and be killed and then raised on the third day, Peter rebuked Jesus saying, "Never Lord. This shall never happen to you!" (Matthew 16:21). Then Jesus said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men" (v.23).

In this case, the "things of men" was simply Peter’s desire that Jesus not suffer and die! Probably each of us would react in the same way, or at least that would be our desire. We wouldn’t want to see Jesus suffer and die. But the "things of God" included just that, Jesus’ death on a cross.

Could it also be that sometimes our own suffering or the suffering of a loved one could be "the things of God"? When James urges us to "count it all joy, my brethren, when you suffer various trials" (James 1:2), those trials are the "things of God," because, James goes on to say, "you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance" which leads us to maturity. God doesn’t give us trials to weaken our faith but to make it stronger!

Why are some Christians driven away from the Lord and His church by trials and difficulties in life while others seem to grow even stronger in their faith and commitment? The key is whether or not we are able to see trials as "the things of God" or as God abandoning us and allowing us to suffer trials.

Solomon writes this wise advice to his son, "My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent His rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in" (Proverbs 3:11-12).

So, remember, those difficult times in life may well be the "things of God" and not God failing us.

-- Wayne Sharp