By Mike Kuhn

In Matthew 16, Peter has just made his confession that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responds with affirmation, the likes of which we scarcely hear from his lips.

“You are Peter (the rock) and on this rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Mt 16:18-19)

In the next scene of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus predicts his suffering in Jerusalem evoking a rebuke from Peter, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen.” Now Jesus’ response is a 180-degree about-face!

“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.” (Mt 16:23)

In the previous paragraph, Peter is the rock on whom the church was built. How did he so quickly become “Satan?” Peter was given tremendous authority to bind and loose on earth and in heaven. Now his mind is set on the things of man, not of God. He was given the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Now he is holding Jesus back–a hindrance!

Matthew arranges the two events in immediate succession as if to urge us to ask the question “why?” What is it that so subverted Peter’s discipleship that Jesus himself refers to him as Satan?

Perhaps the answer seems obvious. Peter was not prepared for a suffering Messiah. Fair enough, but I’d like to push in on that.