Behind Jesus, Not Ahead

In the Sunday Gospels over the past three weeks, the figure of Saint Peter has featured prominently. Two Sundays ago, we saw Saint Peter miraculously walking on the waters of the Sea of ​​Galilee toward Jesus. Last Sunday, we saw Saint Peter proclaiming Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God—and receiving the Petrine office, precisely because he proclaimed this faith in Jesus Christ. Today, we see that same Saint Peter receiving a rebuke—yes, a rebuke from Christ—because he is thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.

While Saint Peter’s error is real, it would be a mistake on our part to think this rebuke casts him out or distances him from Christ; after all, thinking like a human being is natural—I think like a human because I am human. Yet, as people of faith, we need to see with God’s eyes and think with God’s mind. The lesson of today’s Gospel is not merely a rebuke for Saint Peter, but for us as well, for we too must think as God does.

Today we hear the words: "Get away from me, Satan." That is what Jesus said, though the translation isn't perfect. The Greek actually implies something more like "get behind me." In another translation, Jesus, addressing Peter, said: "Get behind me, Satan. You are an obstacle to me because you do not think as God does, but as human beings do." This is very similar to our translation in today's Gospel, yet it stays very close to the original Greek. The Greek says: "Get behind me." And this is not just a rebuke; it is a direction, a commandment—a commandment for all Christians: that we place ourselves behind Jesus and follow Him. We do not need to stand *before* Christ, but rather *behind* Him, so that we may follow Him. Jesus tells the disciples: "Whoever wishes to come after me..." It is not merely "come with me"—His words are stronger than that. "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." These are the instructions for all disciples.

We need Saint Peter’s correction to understand what we must do: we need to place ourselves behind Jesus and follow Him. We should not follow the world, the president, Taylor Swift, or anyone else; we need to follow Jesus. Peter’s mistake was placing himself ahead of Jesus to direct Him, rather than being humble and receptive to God’s grace. It is the same for all of us. When we sin or are in the wrong, we can become stubborn, or we can accept our guilt and embrace God’s grace—His forgiveness, love, and mercy. This is what Jesus offers through His ministry, life, death, cross, and resurrection. It is the central message of the Gospel that Jesus offers today. He had to go to Jerusalem to suffer greatly at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, to be condemned to death, and to rise again on the third day. This is our redemption; it is the Paschal Mystery through which we are saved. Yet, if we follow our own motives and plans, we fail to attain the salvation Jesus offers us.

That is why it is so important that Jesus tells Saint Peter, "Get behind me"—not "stand here," but "get behind me"—because we need to journey together to the cross and to the resurrection. There are times in our lives when we want to direct God. We may hope for things to go a certain way, but the answer remains the same: place yourself behind Him, for He guides us to eternal life and the forgiveness of our sins. He leads us to a way of life that offers liberation and happiness—and, most importantly, eternal life. So, when we hear these episodes involving Saint Peter, we too are involved; we are there. But we need to stand behind Jesus—behind the Cross—and accept our own crosses in order to attain the fullness of life and the resurrection to eternal life. Amen.