Rev. Katherine N. Mitchell, DMin

I have been called a lot of things in my lifetime, but thank goodness, I don't remember ever being called Satan. 

I have done some bad things in my life, things that I am not proud of  and wished that I had not done.  And on those occasions, it was suggested and at times blatantly told  that I was a bad person.  This chastising made me feel not very good about myself, guilty, and at times even humiliated. So, I can not visualize what this encounter was like for Peter.   That  Jesus would call Peter Satan seems so harsh, so  mean-spirited,  and so un-Jesus like - one  can only imagine how devastated and wounded  Peter must have felt  to be attacked by his own mentor, teacher, rabbi, and friend.

So why does Jesus attack  Peter  by calling him Satan?

 Peter loves Jesus and does not want to hear that Jesus will have great suffering, pain, and even death.  Remember, Peter gave up his old life and way of being to travel, to learn, and to grow in faith as a disciple of Jesus.

Just as Jesus was to  transform the world, he also transformed Peter's world.  Peter just could not bear the thought that he would lose everything that he had gained in his new life?. it was just too awful and painful for Peter to think about his life and world without Jesus in it.  And, unfortunately, this is just what Jesus was saying to his disciples.

At the Brigham, in my work there as a chaplain, I often deal with families of patients who are preparing to die. It is agonizing to see the fear, hurt, and helplessness that family members and close friends experience when someone they love and care about deeply is suffering and dying.  Sometimes family members will tell the dying person not to talk about the very fact that they are or may die because it is just too painful and difficult to even consider or think about, much less talk about. 

I think it is safe to say that had most of us been in Peter's shoes, we too, would have rebuked Jesus. We too would not want to hear about the imminent suffering and death Jesus would endure.  

And having said all these things, this reading is not about Satan.  No, what the Gospel  of Mark  and the Genesis readings are really about is trust?  that is trust and faith in God.  Jesus calls us to trust and have faith in the Lord's abiding presence and guidance with us in the darkest of times. 

Mark's  Gospel reminds us that following Jesus is dangerous, scary, and difficult. It is risky, intimidating, and complicated because the things and people of this world are always trying to pull us away from God and the good life that God calls us to. 

Abraham exemplifies that very life that God calls us to.   Even though Abraham laughed when God told him that he and Sarah would have a son, he still did what the Lord required of him.  And, as a result, God fulfilled his covenant with Abraham.  Trust is something that must be both  learned  earned; and as such,  Abraham grew to absolutely and completely trust whatever it was that God asked of him, including the sacrifice of his own son.    

Similarly, Jesus trusted and believed in what God was calling him to and this is why Jesus rebuked Peter saying, "Get behind me, Satan!"   Jesus will not be deterred from his mission.  Jesus will not allow Peter to tempt him, to dissuade him from what God calls him to.   Jesus knows that he must lose his life and he must take up a cross in order to have everlasting life.  Jesus' knowledge, faith, and sacrifice are  all based on God's promise to him. 

Peter, like many of us, does not understand this reasoning and only wants Jesus to be safe, to continue the wonderful life they share together.  He doesn't want it to end. 

I think it is safe to say that Peter has belief in God? but his faith, that is, the complete reliance upon God, is still evolving and developing. 

There was a very popular movie a few years ago called, "Field of Dreams" about a corn farmer out in the mid-west who has this vision of building a baseball park in the middle of his cornfield with the sure faith that if he builds it, people will come.  Of course, this man's family, friends, and neighbors all think he is nuts.  But he builds it anyway.  And guess what - the people do come, and they come in droves.  This man built that ballpark believing that this was the only thing that mattered in his life.  In the movie, this  man changed his life and the life of his community because he had faith, he was totally committed to what he believed in. 

Can you imagine what your life would be like if it's primary focus was centered  as if the only thing that mattered was God and your total and complete trust in God? 

All of us are called by God to build our lives on God's promises to us.  

Abraham is known as the father of our Judeo-Christian faith because he believed?he believed and waited while acting as if God would do as he promised.  

Jesus is the model of our faith because he believed and went about doing great good, changing peoples lives even though he knew a cross waited for him because he believed God would do as promised. 

The biblical scholar, Ernest Kaseman writes:
"what is decisive for all time is not how much we have believed, but that we have believed and followed him - however little we have understood him." 

Let me say that again, because this is what faith is all about -  "what is decisive for all time is not how much we have believed, but that we have believed and followed him - however little we have understood him."  This is good news, we don't have to understand, we only have to believe!

We are called by Jesus to step out in faith, step out despite our fears, our uncertainties, and our lack of understanding.  We are called to step out in a new hope and possibilities based on the love of God and God's steadfastness in our lives.

Abraham believed and followed?
Jesus believed and followed?.
The disciples believed and followed?.
Our forefathers and mothers believed and followed?.
And now too, we are invited by the living Christ to believe and follow!
Amen