We are going to continue our study on how Jesus dealt with the toxic people that came into his life. Last week we looked at how Jesus dealt with his family when they thought he lost his mind. 

Today we are going to look at the time when one of Jesus’ closest friends became a toxic person in his life. 

Peter was a man who often spoke before he thought. I can relate to that! When I was younger I would say whatever was in my head, without filtering first. I remember my mom and grandma telling me all the time that I needed to think before I spoke. Thankfully, the Lord has taught me how to say things in a more tactful way. 

Peter is Honored

One day Jesus was walking with his disciples and asked them the question, “Who do people say I am?” They replied that people say Jesus was John the Baptist, Elijah, or a prophet. Then Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?” All the disciples were quiet at this question except Peter. Peter replies, “You are the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God.” Then Jesus says this about Peter:

“And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ ‭(ESV‬‬)

Jesus called Peter blessed because he was listening to the Father. Peter could only know this with his spiritual knowing. Then Jesus said that on this declaration the government of Jesus will be established (this is what the word for church means). This government will never be destroyed by the kingdom of darkness. There is nothing that Satan and his minions can do to prevent the kingdom of Jesus from succeeding in all that he has determined to happen and accomplish. 

Then Jesus said something that blows my mind! 

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭19‬ (‭ESV‬‬)

Jesus has given those who come into agreement with his government the keys to his kingdom. With access to those keys, we are given authority to make declarations of binding the evil, and loosing the ways of heaven on earth. That is an incredible benefit to working and living out of the kingdom of Jesus. 

Peter is Rebuked

As soon as this interaction with Jesus and Peter finished, Jesus started telling the group the things that were going to happen to him in the near future. Jesus was declaring his true reason for coming to the earth to the group. This did not sit well with Peter. Let’s read this interaction:

“And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Mark‬ ‭8‬:‭31‬-‭33‬ ‭(ESV)‬‬

Jesus literally goes from congratulating Peter to rebuking him and telling him he is thinking like Satan. That is a crazy turn of events! 

How Peter is a Toxic Person

Let’s review what the definition of a toxic person is:

• Anyone who attempts to get you off the path God has set for you 
• Anyone who tries to convince you that you are not who God says you are 
• Anyone who tries to convince you that God’s purpose for your life is not true. 

Peter was attempting to tell Jesus that the reason for him being on earth, the path that God set for him as a person, was wrong. In this moment Peter thought that he knew better than God himself about the reason for coming to the earth. In this attitude and mindset, Peter was actually trying to convince Jesus that he wasn’t in fact the Messiah – a truth that he literally just proclaimed a few moments before. You see, Peter had his own plan for the Messiah, and Jesus wasn’t fitting into what he thought the Messiah should be and do. 

In this moment Peter was a toxic person in the life of Jesus. How did Jesus deal with Peter? He immediately rebuked this false identity, and called it out for exactly what it was. This mindset was straight from the pit of hell and the mind of Satan himself. Thus Jesus said, “Get behind me, Satan.” 

This is what you and I are supposed to do when false identities are trying to take root in our hearts and minds. We need to call them out for what they are, demonic and evil. We need to tell those mindsets to get behind us, and leave us alone. Then we need to reiterate what our true, heavenly identity is and stand firm on that truth. Then and only then can we do all that is written in our scrolls in heaven, and be exactly who God created us to be. 

We are going to pause here for today. Next week we will look at an interaction Jesus had with some Pharisees that was definitely a toxic interaction! I hope you will join me!

Part 1