Mark 8:31-33 Setting your mind on the things of man
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: February 17, 2018, Mark 8:31-33
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
(Understanding the Text) How did Jesus teach His disciples? I can only think that He began showing them the scriptures that said that He would suffer and die and then clearly state that they applied to Him. When Peter took Jesus aside, he probably thought that he was being respectful by not disagreeing with his Master’s interpretation publicly. Peter was not doubting that Jesus was the Messiah. It was because Peter knew that Jesus was the Messiah that he was confident in his interpretation of the scriptures and sure that Jesus was wrong in His interpretation. He was disagreeing with his Rabbi not on who the Messiah was, but on what the Messiah would do according to the scriptures. He was only repeating the established interpretations to His radical Teacher who was turning everything upside down in His society. He may have been the one to say it, but surely the other disciples believed the same as Peter, and were happy for him to talk to Jesus about their concerns.
This passage shows that at this time, the disciples did not see Jesus as being directly connected to the Father. They viewed Him as being fallible–making mistakes and misunderstanding the scriptures. Jesus did not rebuke Peter for this belief, but for focusing on the world so much that it clouded Peter’s ability to understand the scriptures.
(Revelation of God) Peter may have took Jesus aside privately, but the other disciples were there right behind them listening. Jesus rebuked Peter with the strongest words calling him Satan, the accuser, and telling Peter to get behind. In a sense, Jesus was telling Peter to stop trying to be the Teacher and get back to being a disciple. He was telling Peter that he was speaking Satan’s words. He was following Satan’s path. The strength of Jesus’ words was acceptable in a Master-student relationship when the student has been too forward, but the strength was also because Jesus was rebuking Satan, himself, who wanted to control Peter. Jesus said in Luke “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luk 22:31-32). Somehow, Satan asked for Peter in the same way that he asked for Job. Somehow, Jesus knew about this. Thus, Jesus knew that Satan was trying to sift Peter. When Jesus was with Peter, He could protect him, but Jesus knew that there would come a time when He could not be with Peter in person. Jesus was telling Satan that he could not have Peter. Jesus was telling Peter to be careful who he gave his thoughts to.
(Application) Jesus clearly tells us here where to find our Satanic thoughts: the world. When we become focused on the things of man and try to modify the things of God to fit the objectives of men, we are listening to Satan. We must seek God first and His will, then we must attempt to modify the worldly aspects of our life to fit God’s will. Too many of us try to modify the known will of God so that His will aligns with the ways of the world when instead we need to align our worldly lives to God’s will.
(Prayer) Teach me Your ways and help me to forget my desires for the ways of the world. Teach me to think as You think and do as You do. Take away the attraction that I have for worldly things and ways of acting.