S138P2 – To suffer gladly: a heavenly plan
Mt. 16:21-23
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 on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Peter thought that his heart was in the right place, and many might read this passage and not disagree. He loved his Lord, and he did not want to see Jesus suffer. We must understand what Peter and the other disciples were doing as they followed the Lord. Although the prophets foretold the coming of Messiah, these men were going against the grain of their religious teachings. They were in the minority. As they walked with Jesus more and more, their faith grew along with their commitment to him. Peter was all-in, and he believed that he would do anything and everything to protect his Lord. However, his desire to protect Jesus from physical suffering was at odds with the goal of the Father’s heavenly plan.
The words of Jesus here might seem harsh, but they were necessary. Peter did not realize that what he desired, what he thought was good, actually would interfere with the great plan at play. The suffering of Christ would be necessary for the purposes of God’s kingdom to be accomplished. Peter was thinking in a worldly way, and it kept him from seeing the suffering of Christ as the great heavenly thing it was. We have a tendency of doing the same thing. We view our lives and our suffering through the lens of the flesh, and we miss the spiritual importance of the trial. The challenge is for us to view our suffering as part of God’s great spiritual plan. It is the difference between having our minds set on the things of God or the things of man.
Just as the sufferings of Christ were spiritually significant, so are ours although to a lesser degree. What we endure does not bring salvation to men, but it contributes to that plan. When we are called to partake in the sufferings of Christ, this means that we also partake in the plan of his Father. Just as his sufferings were not in vain, our sufferings are not in vain. Just as his sufferings glorify the Father and his kingdom, so do ours. Those of us who are worldly minded will try to suffer as little as possible. Those of us who are heavenly minded will welcome the pain that accompanies the plan of God. Father, give us eyes to see our trials as a necessary part of your great spiritual plan.