What Do You Have in Mind?

When Peter took Jesus aside to rebuke Him for teaching that He would suffer, be rejected by the religious leaders, be killed and then raised after three days (Mark 8:31-32), Jesus rebuked Peter with those famous words "Get behind me Satan! You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns" (Mark 8:33).

Peter's problem was that he was thinking like a human. 


The context of the passage is the revelation that Jesus is the Messiah (Mark 8:29). In Matthew's version, Jesus tells Peter that he did not come to know the revelation of Jesus' identity as Messiah by "flesh and blood" (Matthew 16:17), that is through human effort and intellect. According to Jesus, Peter knew who Jesus was because of a direct revelation from "my Father in heaven."

 The fact that Jesus points this out to Peter suggests that while Peter knows the truth about Jesus, he's not aware of how he came to know it. Jesus has to tell him. Somewhere along the line, as Peter was thinking about Jesus, perhaps in prayer, perhaps as Jesus was talking, perhaps as they were walking from one town to the next, perhaps in a dream, he comes to believe Jesus is the Messiah. It may have been a sudden, instantaneous flash of thought, or it may have developed over a period of time. But however it happened, Peter was very likely unaware that it was God Himself who put that thought in his mind.

I want to just pause here for a moment and reflect on that likelihood. As a preacher, there are times either in preparation or in the act of delivery when thoughts come to me that seem brilliant. In the moment that these thoughts come, I'm not always aware that these thoughts come from God. They seem to be my thoughts. I then have a choice: I can believe that I really am that amazingly brilliant, or I can believe God has just put a brilliant thought in my mind. Both humility and a preference for giving God the glory would make me choose the second. However, just like this text suggests about Peter, in the moment I'm not aware of where the thought comes from. (Maybe this sort of thing happens to you from time to time too. If so, think about this a bit more.)

Getting it Right, but Getting it Wrong

The really bizarre thing about Peter's revelation is that in receiving it Peter had it both right and wrong at the same time! It is absolutely true that Jesus is the Messiah. Peter was right about that. But he was absolutely wrong in what he thought that meant! How do we know this? We know because of what happens next: when Jesus tells the disciples what will happen to the Messiah (to Jesus), Peter rebukes him.

On this side of the cross, we know that the Messiah had to suffer, be rejected, die and rise again. Peter didn't know that. Peter's objection is that this would never happen to Jesus the Messiah (Matthew 16:32). All of his experience of who Jesus was--his power to heal, to cast out demons, to multiply food, even to walk on water--all of this told him Jesus could stand up to anything anyone did against Him!

It's likely that Peter was also taught about the Messiah by other rabbis in the synagogue. This messiah may have looked something like the other people who had claimed the title and tried to overthrow Roman rule. For them, and for many Jews the Messiah would come in power--military power--to release God's people from the horrible oppression of the Roman government.

Further, the religious leaders were looking for and praying for the Messiah. Peter may have wondered "How could they reject Jesus, if He is the Messiah?!" They were the protectors of the temple, champions of Jewish religion. These are the very people that would welcome the Messiah, support him, even endorse him to the masses. Or so he may have assumed. We don't know, of course. All we know is that Peter rejected Jesus' teaching about what was going to happen to Him.

Using his own human mind, Peter was convinced that it was impossible that Jesus would suffer, be rejected, and then be killed and raised to life again. We know it was Peter using his own mind because Jesus tells us: "Get behind me Satan! You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns" (Mark 8:33).

What Do We Have in Mind?

Peter's rejection of a suffering Messiah, a suffering Jesus, is birthed in what may seem like compassion, or loyalty to a friend. It may seem to us laudable that Peter would not want Jesus to go through all of that! It may seem completely reasonable that Peter would not accept that Jesus would suffer, be rejected and die. From what he had seen of Jesus, and what he had likely been taught about the Messiah, how could we argue against that?

Jesus objection to Peter's thinking is that, unlike the revelation of Him being the Messiah, this thought developed in Peter's human mind. Further, although this thought may have been birthed out of compassion and loyalty, Jesus identifies this thinking as another temptation from satan! In fact, the words Jesus uses here are almost identical to what He tells satan when offered all the kingdoms of the world if He would worship him (Matthew 4:10).

Peter's problem was that he was thinking like a human.

Human thinking can be completely reasonable, have laudable motivation and still be a tool in the hands of satan!

For generations us Reformed types have held up rational thinking as a reliable tool for doing theology. Particularly in comparison with experience, emotion or imagination, we tend to think of reason as a faculty that is beyond reproach. It's supposedly something like math: if we think according to the rules of thought, we'll always be right. At least, this is something I picked up in Reformed culture as I grew up into adulthood.

Actually logic is like math. If you follow the rules of logic your conclusions will always follow from your premise(s). The problem is: if our premise is faulty, our conclusions will be too. This was Peter's problem. His premise was true, but his understanding of it was faulty. The problem wasn't with his logic, it was that he understood the truth from a merely human point of view. So it is with us, we can have a perfectly reasonable belief that is simply not true.

Have in Mind the Things of God

How do we, who are humans stop thinking like humans and instead have in mind the things of God?

In some profound ways, even though our minds are also in the image of God, we don't think like God thinks. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8–9). If that's the case, how could Peter be expected to have in mind "the concerns of God"?! and how can we?!

There's only one way I know: through the Holy Spirit. In fact, without the Holy Spirit the Bible itself (inspired by the Spirit) is beyond human understanding (1Corinthians 2:14). This means that only when the Holy Spirit helps us can our minds begin to have God's "things" or "concerns" in it (1Corinthians 2:12). "Common sense," just won't do! What seems "reasonable," won't measure up!

We must begin by submitting our thoughts to God, letting go of them when necessary, and learn how to be taught by the Holy Spirit (1Corinthians 2:13). When we approach God knowing exactly what God would do, if He just understood the world as we do, we are praying while having in mind not the concerns of God, but merely human concerns. When we teach our children, or our Sunday School students, or those around the table in our Bible study, or preach (etc.) believing we know what the Bible says because we've thought about it, or read a good commentary on it, there's a good chance that we are teaching not the things of God but merely human things. When we live our lives based merely on what we understand the Bible to say on certain things, or on what we have come to understand it means to be a good and descent person, we are living a life based on merely human thinking. We need to rise above that!

Peter's problem was that he was thinking like a human.

Peter was absolutely right that Jesus was the Messiah, but absolutely wrong about what the Messiah was! We can be absolutely right that Scripture is God's Word and absolutely wrong about what the words really mean!

As human beings, we need to humbly admit that most of our thinking, including our "spiritual thinking," revolves around what it has to do with our lives in the "here and now." We don't think much beyond what we need to get through our day. When we plan ahead, we're mostly focused on our own life and rarely beyond our own life-time. This is human-think. These are our concerns and let's just admit it: much of it has little to do with what might be heaven's perspective on our lives.

We need a radical change: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)  The old mind, the old way of thinking won't do. Our minds need to be transformed. Note that this is in the passive voice--it's something that happens to us (not something we do). God has to do it, or it won't happen. We cannot think our way into God's way of thinking anymore than we can save ourselves by not sinning. We cannot raise ourselves up by pulling on our own bootstraps! We can only have in mind God's things, if God gives us His thoughts. So ask:

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5)  

And then look for for His answer.