Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord. may such a thing never happen to you.”
Peter, who a moment earlier had recognized Jesus as the Christ, now tries to hold Jesus back from His messianic path. His response, “Far be it,” in translation means “God forbid,” or “Let no such thing happen,” and it expresses human compassion, yet not a right spiritual understanding. Peter still did not grasp that the Messiah’s saving work would pass through the way of suffering and the cross. He tries to keep Jesus from suffering, without understanding that this very suffering is the way of salvation. This means that even a true believer can be mistaken when human feelings move ahead of God’s plan.