You Have No Idea

Mark 8:31-33 (MSG)
³¹ He then began explaining things to them: "It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive."
³² He said this simply and clearly so they couldn't miss it. But Peter grabbed him in protest.
³³ Turning and seeing his disciples wavering, wondering what to believe, Jesus confronted Peter. "Peter, get out of my way! Satan, get lost! You have no idea how God works."

The disciples struggle to understand. Even when Jesus speaks very plainly about His upcoming ordeal, it is even more plain they are not ready to hear His words. Peter voices what the rest of the disciples are thinking. Peter tries to correct Jesus. What Jesus says does not conform to his expectations.

Jesus corrects Peter in even stronger terms. Jesus sees this opposition to God’s will no differently than His encounter with Satan in the wilderness. His closest companions reveal their lack of understanding of God’s will.

The same struggle takes place in us today. Even on this side of the resurrection, how God works and is working is more often than not a mystery. Our understanding and expectations can get in the way. Many things do not make sense to us. Sometimes we might think our way would be so much better. But isn’t that what caused all this heartache in the first place?

We are no different than those disciples. The same misunderstandings and resistance exist in us. God is beyond our ideas. I am glad this is the case. He is not confined to our ideas and neither are we when we place our trust in Him. He saves us when we could not. He makes a way where there is no way. We cannot in our collective imagination anticipate what richness and blessing lie before us, for God is beyond our dreams as well.