I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Mark 8. Great accomplishment vs. great failure. This Chapter reminds me that with the spirit of God we are able to do amazing things, but on on our own we fail miserably. “Jesus and His disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way He asked them, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah, and still others say one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you?’ He asked, ‘Who do you say I am?’ Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ'” (Verses 27-29). In another version Jesus tells Peter that it was the Spirit that had revealed this to him. Great insight, Peter’s answer was not thought through, it came from God given knowledge, even if his brain couldn’t fully comprehend it he knew that Jesus was the Son of God. I think this moment went to Peter’s head: “He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priest, and teachers of the law [the very people who should have known who He was], and that He must be killed and after three days rise again…Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But when Jesus had turned and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, ‘Get behind me satan!’ He said, ‘You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men'” (Verses 31-33).  The things of God says, “You are the Christ.” The things of men tries to rebuke God and make Him in the image we want Him to be. Our view and God’s view are not the same. Why? Our perspective is limited, “For now we see through a glass darkly” (1 Corinthians 13:12), we don’t see it all. God sees it ALL, His perspective is NOT limited.