But Jesus turned around, saw the disciples, rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind Me, Satan, because you are not thinking about what God is doing, but about what people are doing.”
This saying is harsh, but necessary. Christ calls Peter that not because Peter himself is Satan, but because at that moment his words were opposing God’s saving plan and became a temptation to turn Christ away from the path of the cross. This recalls the temptation in the wilderness, when Satan offered glory without the cross. Here there is a great lesson: human natural prudence, even with good intentions, can oppose God’s will if it rejects the path of sacrifice and obedience. Christ also looks at the other disciples, because Peter’s error was not only a personal issue; it could infect the others. The phrase “what people do” here means measuring reality by earthly success, by the desire to avoid pain, and by the logic of self-preservation, whereas in the phrase “what God does” the deeper mystery of salvation is revealed. This verse teaches us to discern the source of our thoughts and to accept that what seems humanly sensible is not always pleasing to God.