The pull of personal desire

“From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”” Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The truth was laid out for the first time to the disciples.

Jesus said that he “must” go to Jerusalem, signifying that he would willingly submit to the plan of God. He would willingly walk into the abuse and suffering from the priests and teachers. He would willingly be killed. This was God’s plan for his life.

And, Peter couldn’t handle it.

Peter was not going to stand around and let his best friend, his Savior, his leader, suffer abuse and be killed. What kind of follower or friend would do that? Not Peter. 

“This shall never happen to you.”

Peter was completely oblivious to God’s plan. Maybe, at that moment, he didn’t care what the plan was, it made no sense, and he wasn’t going to allow it to happen.

Peter’s desire was greater than God’s plan.

THIS IS US. Everyone one of us.

We push, pull, fight against God’s plan, His will for our life. We know best. We know what route to take. We force God’s plan to line up with our desire.

Thank God that Jesus didn’t do that.

Peter obviously missed the last, most important piece of what Jesus said.

On the third day, Jesus said that he would be raised to life.

Because of Peter’s desire to defend his friend, he missed the most important truth of the entire Bible. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, Peter would be given grace for all his mistakes. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, Peter would be given hope. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, Peter would be given peace. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, Peter would be given life. 

Later, Peter, when he saw the whole picture, would praise Jesus for willingly submitting to God’s will. Peter would realize that God’s will is the most important thing in life, not his personal desire. Peter would be willingly martyred for his belief.

Our greatest battle in life – putting our personal desire over God’s plan. We do this daily with our own life. My desire is greater than God’s plan. We do this regularly with our kid’s life. Our plan for their life is greater than God’s plan.

And, I imagine, we will always do this. This is how we are built. We have gaps.

But, let us never forget the last piece of Jesus’ sentence. He rose again, defeating death, giving us hope and peace and perpetual grace for putting our desire over His will.

That is a Savior worth following.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

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