Get Behind Me Satan! - PDF

When Peter learns what it will mean for Jesus to live out his vocation as "the Messiah, Son of the living God" he reacts with horror, proclaiming, "God forbid ...". And yet, God does not forbid and Jesus indeed suffers, dies and is raised. When does God forbid and when does God allow? Do we make choices about how we react to situations or does God cause us to react without free agency? These important questions come to light in today's text, and are especially important when, as was the case with Peter, we are confronted by something too terrible to face.