God’s Interests

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 be raised up on the third day. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” Matthew 16:21-23

How many times have you thought something was a great idea only to find out it was a selfish idea? For me, the answer is too many times to count. We are still fallible creatures of the flesh marred by sin. It’s interesting how many times, even some things I think are good, when I search deeper into my motives, I find my selfish interest at heart.

In this passage, Jesus was having a personal moment with His disciples and giving them the heads up that He would go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, be killed, and be raised up the third day. This news was still hard for many of the disciples to understand because they traditionally had been told of the Messiah coming to rule and reign. They viewed Christ’s coming as the Israelites viewed the judges of their history that He would be raised up to pull them out of oppression and bondage from a foreign country.

Christ, however, had taught them about the Kingdom of God and that it was not of this world. That the salvation He brought was from sin and death.  This was only going to be accomplished by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
 
Peter’s statement was seemingly intended as an encouragement that he would never let that happen to Christ. However, Peter did not understand that by saying this, he was putting his interests in man’s plans of power and control, which ultimately is a nod to Satan’s work of getting our focus off God’s plan and onto our own.

This week I want to encourage you to double-check your direction.  To ask the Lord if you are in line with what His interests are for your life. It’s easy for us to follow our desires. It’s another thing to put our desires aside and seek the plan and heart of God in our actions and calendar.

 
Can you imagine if Peter got his way… Thankfully Christ is in control. The encouragement still is to set our minds on God’s interests. There it is in red letters. A directive from God this week. All we have to do is ask, and I’m sure He’ll fill in the blanks with what His interests are through His Word and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Working at setting my mind on God’s Interests.
 
Pastor Mike

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