Jesus’s reproach of Peter is very similar to the expression
used earlier in Matthew’s account of the temptation in the wilderness; there
Jesus said to Satan υπαγε, σατανα (4:10). It is debated what difference
the words “behind me” (οπισω
μου) make in the phrase, “Get behind me Satan!”
is Jesus addressing Peter or Satan himself? If he is addressing Peter, is he
reminding Peter that as a disciple he is to follow Jesus rather than try to
give him orders? Or are the words merely emphatic? While the words may be merely
emphatic in Mark 8:33, the fact that they are not used when Jesus addresses
Satan in Matt 4:10 suggests that here where the words “behind me” are used they
are intended to remind Peter of his position as disciple. Matthew modifies
Jesus’ rebuke of Peter by adding the clarifying statement, “you are a stumbling
block to me” (16:23). Matthew thus explains that Peter is doing the same thing
as Satan does: he is tempting Jesus not to follow the will of God. More specifically,
he is tempting him to take an easier route to become Messiah, one that would
not involve him dying. Matthew softens the impact of Jesus’ reproach by telling
of Jesus blessing Peter and establishing him as the future leader of the church
immediately before this event (16:17-29). Jesus’ blessing and promise to Peter may
be considered Matthew’s counterpart to Luke 22:31-32, where Jesus promised Peter
that even if he turns away for a while, his faith would not fail and he would
return to help the others. Matthew does not include those verses in his account
of the night in Gethsemane; his additions to the account of Peter’s confession
fill the same function.
The blessing and promise Jesus gives to Peter serve to
balance off the negative picture that the reader might otherwise have of Peter,
but they also increase the irony of the situation—the first thing Peter does
after being named foundation of the church is to serve as the mouthpiece of
Satan. This further conditions the reader to interpret other instances of opposition
that Jesus faces as having been incited by Satan. This passage also serves to remind
the reader that any follower of Jesus can come to serve the devil if his priorities
are of this world. Considering that Matthew had Jesus address the future leader
of the church as “Satan” it is clear that he does not imagine that the enemies
of the church are limited to people standing outside that institution. In
Matthew’s account, followers of Christ are in constant danger of falling away
from the faith and causing others to do so. Thus, Matthew (24:24), in contrast
to Luke, includes Jesus warning his disciples about false messiahs and false
prophets (cf. Mark 13:21-23). For Matthew the fear that the elect might go
astray is very real. (Torsten Löfstedt, The Devil, Demons, Judas, and “the
Jews”: Opponents of Christ in the Gospels [Eugene, Oreg.: Pickwick
Publications, 2021], 237-39)
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