Recognise the divinity of the Son
"Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” (Mk 8, 33)
Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that I am?”
They said in reply,
“John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets.”
And he asked them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said to him in reply,
“You are the Christ.”
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” (Mk 8:27-33)
At first, Jesus praises Peter, changes his name and declares him blessed, because he had been inspired by the Father to recognise the divinity of the Son; subsequently, when Peter allows human will to prevail over the divine will, Jesus orders him to walk behind Him. If this applies to Peter and his successors, it is obviously applicable to each one of us. We therefore ask the Lord to grant that our will be always guided by Him.