Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men

 

 Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him.  So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town.  And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.  And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking."  Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up.  And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.  Then He sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town." 

 

Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, "Who do men say that I am?"  So they answered, "John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered  and said to Him, "You are the Christ."  Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him. 

 

And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.  He spoke this word openly.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.  But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan!  For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."  

 

- Mark 8:22-33 

 

Yesterday we read that the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.  But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign?  Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation."  And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.  Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.  Then He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread?  Do you not yet perceive nor understand?  Is your heart still hardened?  Having eyes, do you not see?  And having ears, do you not hear?  And do you not remember?  When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  They said to Him, "Twelve."  "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?" And they said, "Seven."  So he said to them, "How is it that you do not understand?"   

 

  Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him.  So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town.  And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.  And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking."  Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up.  And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.  Then He sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town."  My study Bible comments that the people of Bethsaida were unbelieving (Matthew 11:21); so, therefore, this is why Jesus leads the blind man out of the town to heal him.  Additionally, in this way the people would not scoff at the miracle and then bring upon themselves greater condemnation in so doing.  That this blind man was healed in stages, my study Bible further explains, shows that he had only a small amount of faith (hence another reason to take him out of the town) -- for healing occurs according to one's faith (Mark 6:5-6).  But this little faith was enough, and it increased with the touch of Christ.  Jesus' command not to return to the town, my study Bible notes, symbolizes that we must not return to our sins once we have been forgiven.  

 

 Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, "Who do men say that I am?"  So they answered, "John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered  and said to Him, "You are the Christ."  Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.  Here Jesus brings the question to the disciples of His true identity.  My study Bible comments that, "Who do you say that I am?" is the greatest question a person could ever face, for it is the question that defines Christianity.  Peter's correct answer to this question (on behalf of all the disciples) prevents the Christian faith from being seen as merely another philosophical system or path of spirituality.  He is the Christ, and the one and only Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16).  This is a position, my study Bible says, which excludes all compromise with other religious systems.  Peter's understanding is related to the heart (as discussed in yesterday's reading and commntary), and it cannot be achieved by human reason, but only by divine revelation through faith (1 Corinthians 12:3).  Christ means "Anointed One," and it's equivalent to the Hebrew title "Messiah."  My study Bible also asks us to note that Christ first draws out erroneous opinions about Himself.  This is done so that these incorrect ideas may be identified, as a person is better prepared to avoid false teachings when they are clearly identified.

 

 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.  He spoke this word openly.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.  But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan!  For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."  My study Bible comments here that, after Peter's confession, Jesus reveals the true nature of His messiahship:  the mystery of His Passion.  It was expected that the Messiah would reign forever, so the idea that Christ would die was perplexing to Peter, and remained scandalous to the Jews even after the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 1:23).  St. Peter unwittingly speaks for Satan, my study Bible explains, for the devil did not want Christ to fulfill His mission and save humankind through suffering and death. 

 

Faith is once again the great subject behind all things we read in today's Gospel passage.  The passage shows us the various ways in which faith works, how it works in us, and how we cooperate with and find that faith -- even the struggle to continue in our faith and keep it.   There is first of all the story of the blind man healed by Jesus.  As my study Bible explains, his faith starts as "little" but it grows gradually through contact with Christ.  Jesus does everything He can to shore up and strengthen that faith -- taking the blind man out of the town and away from the scoffers in order to heal him, and even teaching him not to return so as to maintain his faith.  These teachings remain important for each of us.  As with many in Twelve Step programs, often it is only by removing oneself from a particular familiar environment that the destructive habit can be left behind.  Patterns of thinking (called λογισμοί/logismoi in the Greek language of theology and historical monasticism) affect us at many levels; so often we inherit them from an environment or adopt them through social contact.  They can be destructive and tempting, or they can help us -- and oftentimes in order to build up our lives in ways that are truly needful and helpful we need to be mindful of how we can shore up what is good for us, and remove away from ourselves the things that tear us down and tempt us in ways that seem to promise good but are really destructive.  Again, addictions of all kinds form an example:  the promise to reduce pain or anxiety is a trap which leads only to worse enslavement to such pain, anxiety, and other problems.  So, Christ's action to shore up faith for healing remains one of the most significant teachings we can receive in our lives, for modern problems of today as well as for Christ's time.  Perhaps today, with our exposure to so much and an unlimited sense of freedom through the internet, we have need of this teaching more than ever before.  Then there is the confession of St. Peter (made on behalf of all of the disciples, as St. Peter so often speaks for all of them) that Jesus is the Christ.  Again, my study Bible emphasizes faith and the state of the heart as the root of such perception.  For this reason, we guard our hearts from the destructive thought patterns that do not help us find the faith we need, to see the spiritual truth of the reality of God which gives us strength to live a productive and good life -- and to see the reality of what is harmful even when it looks "good."  We observe that in the case of the healed formerly-blind man, and also in the case of the disciples after Christ's identity is revealed to them, in both circumstances Jesus warns them to tell no one.  This, again, is not to tempt scoffers -- neither to entertain their destructive mindset which may be destructive, but also to protect such people from further condemnation, as my study Bible said.  Finally, there is the moment when Christ reveals what His ministry will entail, contrary to all of the expectations about the Messiah and the kingdom the Messiah would initiate.  This is something terribly hard for the disciples to take in, let alone to accept.  St. Peter's response is something which you and I can completely understand:  he rebukes even the thought that Jesus should suffer and perish.  But Jesus responds in a stark and even harsh way, even calling Peter "Satan" in his rejection of the news that Christ will suffer and die.  St. Peter's reaction, while naturally understandable to all of us, is in fact a worldly way of thinking which the Crucifixion will stand on its head.  For God will use even this worst of all scenarios for the redemption of the whole world, leading to salvation for us all, and in so many ways teaching us what God's love is and does, and continually giving to us in the ongoing ministry of the Church the power of Resurrection at work.  In this St. Paul's word is true, that " all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).  For now, let us consider the power of faith, how important and essential it is to us, what a difference in makes in our lives.  For all of these stories illustrate its importance, and our need to guard it to keep it strong, and keep ourselves on that good path, the good part.