But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’”
Matthew 16:21-23
Matthew’s irony is unmistakable! The “Rock” on which Jesus intended to build his church had become a stumbling block to him, and the Rock’s error has been a lesson for Christians of every age, and the mistake is so clear it’s a wonder that anyone can miss the point. For a long time, it seemed that followers of Jesus understood his mission. Following his example, they focused their attention on the broken and the outcasts and thousands responded to that gospel message of forgiveness and love. But then the politicians came knocking, and the focus of church leaders shifted. By becoming enmeshed in human things they discovered the delights of power and wealth, and only the efforts of brave reformers, willing to risk death, kept the mission alive. Today we’re facing a new challenge. Politicians are again wooing church leaders and inviting them to make America the new Rome, an empire in which the interests of church and state are merged. Some folks are even embracing what is called “Christian Nationalism,” an unholy alliance in which flag and cross are merged. When minds are set on such human things, the gospel of grace is threatened and Christ’s true mission is obscured. It really isn’t a stretch to call such tendencies Satanic. That’s what Jesus called them, and that’s still what they are.
Thought for the Day: What is Christian Nationalism?
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