Learning to think the way God thinks!

Once again, this Sunday's Gospel is about Peter's confession about Jesus, which you can read in Mark 8:27-35.

"27 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? 28 They said in reply, "John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets." 29 And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter said to him in reply, "You are the Messiah." 30 Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

31 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. 32 He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 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."

34 He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospel will save it!"

I'm sure that the two evangelists St. Mark and St. Matthew were both around when Jesus talked to them about who he was. Like I said, one of my favorite Gospel passages is Matt. 16: 13-26, which is almost exactly the same words written in the Gospel of St. Mark, except that what Mark did not write one of the most important passages about Peter and the church, which you will find in Matthew 16: 17-19 where Jesus establishes his Church and installs Peter as head of the Church. Let me reprint that passage as written by Matthew, which in effect fills the blanks of St. Mark's Gospel.

"17 Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. 18 And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Cut and paste this passage in Mark's Gospel, then you'd think that they were exact copies of the same reading. Again, let me stress out two important details of this teaching, which for the first time the disciples of Jesus heard about. First point is... this is the very first time that Jesus mentioned the word "church". Now remember, many of his disciples followed Jesus thinking of believing that he was the Messiah or the Deliverer who would save Israel from the bondage of Roman conquest, but a church?

This is why in the next few passages, the disciples most especially St. Peter couldn't believe what he heard from Jesus when he told 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." Just when they finally realized that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Son of God, before they could dance in jubilation, they were instead given the bad news that Jesus was destined to suffer rejection and be killed... for a church?

This is why Peter rebuked Jesus, which you can read in Matt. 16: 22 "Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you." It is for this reason why Jesus in turn also rebuked Peter saying. "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

This is a very interesting conversation between our Lord Jesus Christ and Peter, the very same man who a few moments ago was installed as head of the church and given the power to "loose or bound" our sins here on earth and that they would also be "loose and bound" in heaven. Then Jesus calls him Satan? Actually Satan means "the one who opposes". This is why the reply of Jesus is..."You are an obstacle to me!" Indeed Peter and I guess this goes to all his disciples was "thinking not as God does, but as human beings do". Then we must start learning to think the way God thinks!

Even today, when most of the mysteries of the Son of Man have been dissected, argued, debated, discussed and revealed, it is still not easy to understand or even teach why God sent his only Son Jesus to this earth to suffer and die for our sins. We can only find consolation in this mystery in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." God is indeed the source of all love!

The second point I would like to make is, this is also the first time that our Lord Jesus mentions about the cross. This was a prophecy about his being nailed on the cross and the conditions for discipleship is also for us to take on our crosses and suffer with Jesus for life's eternal reward.

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