God's Interests vs. Man's Interests

In Matthew 16, Peter declares that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt 16:16). For this statement, Jesus says that he is blessed.

A couple of verses later, Jesus tells the disciples that he must suffer and be killed. Peter does not like the sound of this by any means and therefore rebukes Jesus for even mentioning such a crazy idea. Jesus gives a completely different response to this statement: "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's" (Matt 16:23).

One minute Peter is called blessed, and the next he is called Satan (God's adversary). What can account for Peter's complete change of status?

Jesus said it was because he was setting his mind on man's interests.

The whole chapter seems to be about that very issue: setting man's interests above God's.

Early in chapter 16 the Pharisees and the Sadducees ask Jesus for a sign from heaven. What they are asking for was not a miracle the likes of feeding 4,000 people with very little food or causing the mute to speak or the lame to walk or the blind to see (see Matthew 15:31-39), they want a political overthrow of the Romans; after all, this is what the Messiah was supposed to do. Jesus refuses to give them the sign they ask for and warns the disciples to beware of their teaching.

At this point in his life Peter shares the same perspective as the Pharisees and Sadducees. He too would love for Jesus to overcome Roman oppression. This is why Peter doesn't like the idea of Jesus suffering and dying. This is also why Jesus responds to him in a similarly negative way.

What separates Jesus from the Pharisees, Sadducees and Peter is one simple thing: His complete, undivided focus on God's interests.

Men are interested in many things such as wealth, success, fame, political power (e.g., Pharisees, Sadducees, and Peter).

God is interested in one thing: Loyalty to Him.

What are you interested in?

Jesus was completely loyal to His Father. And God's raising him from the dead testifies to Jesus' faithfulness to Him.

This is the only sign that the Pharisees, Sadducees, Peter, you and I have to look forward to.