23. But he turned, and said--in the hearing of the rest; for Mark
(Mr 8:33)
expressly says, "When He had turned about and looked on His disciples,
He rebuked Peter"; perceiving that he had but boldly uttered what
others felt, and that the check was needed by them also.
Get thee behind me, Satan--the same words as He had addressed to the
Tempter
(Lu 4:8);
for He felt in it a satanic lure, a whisper from hell, to move Him from
His purpose to suffer. So He shook off the Serpent, then coiling around
Him, and "felt no harm"
(Ac 28:5).
How quickly has the "rock" turned to a devil! The fruit of divine
teaching the Lord delighted to honor in Peter; but the mouthpiece of
hell, which he had in a moment of forgetfulness become, the Lord shook
off with horror.
thou art an offence--a stumbling-block.
unto me--"Thou playest the Tempter, casting a stumbling-block in My
way to the Cross. Could it succeed, where wert thou? and how should the
Serpent's head be bruised?"
for thou savourest not--thou thinkest not.
the things that be of God, but those that be of men--"Thou art carried
away by human views of the way of setting up Messiah's kingdom, quite
contrary to those of God." This was kindly said, not to take off the
sharp edge of the rebuke, but to explain and justify it, as it was
evident Peter knew not what was in the bosom of his rash speech.
JFB.
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