'Get behind me, Satan!'… Probably some of the strongest words Jesus spoke in the Gospels. And he addressed these words to Peter. Just imagine Jesus saying these words to you or to me. We would simply be shocked and absolutely mortified.
So in order to understand what he meant, we need to look a little closer at the context in which Jesus said these words. At the beginning of our Gospel reading, Jesus was outlining what would happen to him: to be put to death and to rise again on the third day. Jesus knew his destiny. Peter, not wanting to see his friend die, was suggesting that Jesus could take an alternative course of action, other than the one that he was destined to fulfil. What Peter was suggesting was for Jesus to go against the will of the Father. Of course Peter did not say this intentionally. It was just his enthusiastic spontaneity getting him into trouble again!
But Jesus took the words of Peter for what they were: suggesting that he should not fulfil his destiny the way it was planned. He therefore took the words of Peter as coming from an 'adversary' of God. Again, I have no doubt that Peter didn't fully understand what he was suggesting. Nonetheless, Peter's suggestion was in direct opposition to the will of God. The word 'Satan' literally means 'an adversary'. It shows how focussed and accepting Jesus was about what was to happen to him… accepting death on a cross.
Our painting by Carl Bloch shows this resolve and focus of Jesus, casting away Satan. Truly nothing could keep Jesus from fulfilling his mission.
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