THE ROCK ROCKS
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’ (Mark 8.33)
THE ROCK ROCKS… Just a few breaths after Peter’s moment of discipleship triumph, praised by the Master for his insight not born of man but of Wisdom herself, the fisherman would-be-fisher-of-men is receiving the harshest telling off meted out by that same Master anywhere in the Scriptures or in any other authentic record of the words of Jesus! For a moment the Hochma ( חכמה Wisdom ) has broken through for Peter and enlightened him, revealing Christ to him in the person of his spiritual Master (“Who do you say I am?”, “You are Christ” ~ Mark 8.29). But as soon as Jesus starts to conflict with Peter’s programmed understanding of what Christ ( משיח Meshiach ) is supposed to be, the Hochma is gone and the frightened man-rock is all that’s left, and Peter’s words are reduced to religious and political gibberish. Of course, similar happened with the Transfiguration and we will meet Peter through Lent and Holy Week quite a lot when moments of inspiration are soon squandered by the fear and impetuousness of the man.
Nevertheless, Jesus continues to call his fallible and flappable student “Cephas – the Rock – Rocky – Peter” and he never gives up on “the rock on which I shall build ecclesia”. The moments of Wisdom continue to break through in spite of everything and after the Resurrection, when Peter has taken on his own Christ-ordained mission, we will meet a man of God so powerful that people are healed in the shadow of his cloak as he walks by.
Our own Cephas, Rev Peter B, reminded us at the first Lent Service last Thursday that Lent is a time for us to stop our gibberish and just listen. Listen for the voice of God. Wait on the Hochma. Say with your heart, like Samuel in the night, “Speak Lord, your servant is ready to listen.” Shwsh now. Listen… … … Christ is speaking…to you…
Tonnau Duw ('God's waves') Fr Tim Ardouin 
that was a lovely, moving service with inspiring words and compassionate actions. teaching & healing & sharing. a good start to Lent.
thank you, Carolyn
Just been reading a really good book about the inner child and it reminded me of Peter and this part of the bible. I’ve always been able to see the child in people and I can see Peter’s inner child here. Why did Jesus change Peter’s name?