[Jesus] asked His disciples ... "Who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." ... From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord! This shall never happen to You." But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a hindrance to Me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." Then Jesus told His disciples, "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me." (Matthew 16:13b, 15b-17, 21-24)

Poor Peter! At one moment Jesus is blessing him to the skies, and the next moment He's calling him Satan. What is going on?

If you think about it, Jesus is being completely consistent here. When Peter says the truth of God, Jesus praises him. When Peter speaks the words of the devil, trying to turn Jesus away from the road to the cross, he gets the opposite treatment—for Jesus will let nothing stand in the way of our salvation.

Nothing and nobody matters to Jesus as much as doing what God sent Him to do—laying down His life for all of us on the cross and then rising from the dead, to make us God's forgiven people.

WE PRAY: Thank You, Lord, for making our safety Your top priority. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

* How do you think Peter felt each time?

* Do you think he was confused?

* Why do you matter so much to Jesus?

Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.

Today's Bible Readings: Numbers 1-2    Mark 12:1-27

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