Mark 8:33
But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men. But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
Alone with His disciples at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus prepared them for the trial to their faith by telling plainly of His coming suffering at Jerusalem, rejection, death, and resurrection after three days. Peter was shocked that the Son of God should be so treated, and his whole being rose against the thought, so he presumptuously rebuked Jesus and vehemently denied it would happen, turning the minds of the disciples from the lesson Jesus desired to impart. Though Peter's confession of Christ had been inspired by God, in opposing His foretold suffering and death he was giving voice to Satan's suggestions, for Satan spoke through him in blind love and interposed himself between Jesus and His erring servant. The severest rebuke Jesus ever uttered was addressed to Satan who was tempting Peter, not to Peter himself, commanding him to step behind and no longer stand between them so He might come face to face with Peter and reveal the mystery of His love. To savor the things of men is to hold to human concerns and the glowing expectation of an earthly kingdom of worldly honor, while to savor the things of God is to accept His purposes beyond present poverty and humiliation to Christ's coming in glory with the hosts of heaven to reward every man according to his works.
Setting and Meaning
At Caesarea Philippi, alone with His disciples, Jesus prepared them for the trial to their faith in His betrayal, trial, and crucifixion by telling plainly of His coming suffering at Jerusalem, rejection, death, and resurrection after three days. Peter was shocked that the Son of God should be so treated, and his whole being rose up against the thought. He thought such an event would bring the Christian cause to naught and that the Lord could prevent it, so he presumptuously rebuked Jesus, vehemently denied it would happen, wished to take Him somewhere safe, and turned the minds of the disciples from the lesson Jesus desired to impart.
Peter's first words in confessing Christ had been inspired by God, but in opposing His foretold suffering and death he was giving voice to Satan's suggestions. Satan instigated his doubts, spoke through him in blind love as he laid hold on Jesus to draw Him back, interposed himself between Jesus and Peter, and tempted Peter to contradict Christ, favor himself, and resist the path of suffering. The severest rebuke Jesus ever uttered was addressed to Satan who was tempting Peter, not to Peter himself. Jesus heeded not the temptation but thought for His disciple, commanding Satan to step behind Him and no longer stand between Him and His erring servant, so that He might come face to face with Peter and reveal to him the mystery of His love.
To savor the things of men is to accept human concerns, the desires of the flesh and the world, rather than God's purposes. It was the disciples' fixed gaze on the nearer view of earthly life and their glowing expectation that the Messiah would be exalted to the throne of David in an earthly kingdom of worldly honor. So they could not comprehend that the Son of God would live as a humble homeless wanderer and voluntarily go to Jerusalem to be despised, rejected, humiliated, and put to death in shame and the cross, which left their loving hearts oppressed with sadness and their minds harassed with doubt in greater darkness. To savor the things of God is to accept God's purposes beyond the poverty and humiliation of the present. Jesus pointed beyond to His coming in glory, not with the splendor of an earthly throne but with the glory of God and the hosts of heaven, when He shall reward every man according to his works, though that glory looked far away to them, and His followers too must be willing to endure reproach for His sake to win salvation.
Christ's Choice and Temptation
Jesus knew the suffering that lay ahead on the path toward Calvary and willingly chose to do God's will and endure the cross. He made that choice because He saw the joy of giving His life to win the world back to loyalty to God.
Peter's appeal that He spare Himself gave Him no help or solace for His coming trial. That appeal was not in harmony with God's purpose of grace toward a lost world nor with the lesson of self-sacrifice He came to teach by His own example, and its influence was directly opposed to what He wanted to impress on His followers, because Peter did not desire to see the cross in His work. Through Peter, Satan was again pressing upon Him the same wilderness temptation to forsake humiliation and sacrifice for world dominion, seeking to turn Him from His mission and discourage Him. Satan sought in this way to fix Peter's gaze on earthly glory instead of the cross, so that Peter's heart would not be touched by the vision of Christ's humiliation for him.
Obeying God Today
Satan still works today in the same way he worked through Peter, putting thoughts of unbelief into the mind and suggesting that truths which involve a cross be left out of experience and belief. Many want God's commandments and His great moral standard of righteousness blotted out. They want preaching of faith and mercy and promises to save sinners without repentance and the putting away of sin, because the law of God is unwelcome to the carnal heart.
To tell Satan to get behind is to reject his suggestions and refuse to follow a human-minded course opposed to God. Christ's rebuke is the right answer to human suggestions that savor not the things of God. It is a firm refusal to join with Satan or to compromise integrity, including by breaking contracts or allowing oneself to be bought or sold.
Choosing human judgment and plans over God's way is savoring the things of men rather than the things of God. Those who claim to follow Christ yet think they can improve on His plan, close their eyes to His ways, and insist on their own are acting in this spirit. A man can speak at length while imbued with a spirit utterly opposed to God, supposing his power of speech will accomplish wonderful things, but such long talks are entirely different from the spirit and methods of the great Medical Missionary and should not be encouraged.
Jesus' rebuke to Peter is to be used when wives or children stand in the way and hold believers back from obeying God, especially those with possessions who excuse themselves on account of family. God will not be trifled with, and when He speaks He must be obeyed with an eye single to His glory. Family entreaties that would withhold from God what justly belongs to Him are to be rejected as satanic temptation that would ruin one's own soul, while wives and children are still to be treated tenderly and one's course shaped for God's glory.