As I read Matthew 16:21-27, I can sympathize with Peter. Jesus is demanding His disciples to understand that His journey to Jerusalem, His suffering, death and resurrection are part of a wider plan, a divine plan.
Peter probably didn’t hear the resurrection part of the journey. But as for Jesus being tortured by the Jewish elders and then put to death, that’s not what Peter signed on for. Peter probably thought they would somehow expel the Romans and restore the Kingdom of Israel, and they would sit alongside the new king.
That is why Jesus turned to Peter and said these very harsh words, “Get behind me Satan, for you think in human ways, not in the ways of God.” This text is a challenge for all of us, especially these days when our wealthy and healthy lifestyles influence against the taking of any unnecessary risks. Just leave things as they are. Now Peter would be willing to take some risks but only if there was some reward at the end of it all.
Still, the challenge is the same. “Anyone who wants to be a follower of mine, must empty oneself, take up the cross, and follow me.” That’s a tough call. But in the end, if we are willing to sacrifice our lifestyles, and our hopes for power and control, then there is still a far greater reward and that is to share in the resurrection of Jesus, to find new life as people who live as God originally and always intended, in a way where we will each be rewarded for the ways we care for each other.