Guest Post by Doug Foltz - Peter, Satan, and Politics
Each year during Lent, I read the book Unvarnished Jesus by Brian Zahnd. The first day starts out in Mark 8:31-38. So I decided to bring that Scripture to the micro church I lead. The discussion was rich and I shared with Aaron that it fits this current series well. He told me to write it up, so here we are.
To understand what’s happening requires a little history. When you see words like Savior and Messiah in the Gospels, think military and political leader who will overthrow Rome and re-establish Israeli freedom. They are thinking from a typical worldview still present today. To win, those that think like and are like me, need a leader who will conquer and overthrow those currently in power.
So note Peter’s bold confusion when Jesus says that he will face suffering, rejection, and death. That doesn’t fit the Messiah story Peter understood. So Peter pulls Jesus aside to correct him. Hence, the bold part. Jesus is having none of that and says, “Get behind me, Satan!” Then points out that Peter is thinking on human things not divine things and that if you want to follow Jesus you need to take up your cross.
One more important history point…that’s basically saying “pick up your electric chair” or something like that. The cross was understood as a symbol of Roman oppression and power. Cross Rome and you end up publicly shamed nailed to a cross. So Jesus is saying follow me and suffer. Sign me up, right!?
This didn’t fit into how Peter, or frankly anyone, understood how the world worked. And things haven’t changed much. With few exceptions the world is still jockeying for power, trying to win through domination and control at the expense of others who aren’t like them.
This is at the heart of American politics. Republican and Democrat are alike in that they both want the same thing: power through domination and control at the expense of other.
To that Jesus says, “Get behind me Satan.” Why? Because that’s a mindset fixed on human things not Divine things. The statement could also work literally. Jesus is declaring I’m the King fall in line behind me.
In our micro church, one person commented, “I don’t like being told what to do.” Honest. I thought of Aaron. Kidding…well, not kidding.
But Jesus isn’t giving options here. If you want salvation, if you want life the way God designed life for you, then this is the way. The way is co-suffering love. Cross.
When our pursuits and desires are aligned toward seeing our party in charge, we haven’t aligned our desires with Christ. It doesn’t matter if your party is more “christian” than the other. The desired outcome is not Godly.
On the surface it sounds illogical and maybe even weak. But remember that in co-suffering love, in death on a cross, Jesus defeats death. And those that follow Him do as well.
This is where Christians who are Democrats and Christians who are Republicans can sit together and be united. It’s what we proclaim and experience in Lord’s Supper. As my friend Danielle Reeves would say, “united but not uniform”. As for me, I’ll gladly get behind Jesus.