Aren’t you glad Jesus patiently varies his responses?

Have you noticed how many times Peter tried to tell Jesus what to do? The first thing that comes to mind is after Peter’s confession, “You are the Christ…” in Matthew 16 (a good thing!), he tries to tell Jesus not to go to the cross (a bad thing).

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16.21 – 23, ESV, emphasis mine)

But the pattern started early. After the miraculous catch of fish, Peter’s reaction is, “Go away!”

When Simon Peter saw this astonishing miracle, he knelt at Jesus’ feet and begged him, “Go away from me, Master, for I am a sinful man!” Simon Peter and the other fishermen—including his fishing partners, Jacob and John, the sons of Zebedee—were awestruck over the miracle catch of fish. Jesus answered, “Do not yield to your fear, Simon Peter. From now on you will catch men for salvation!” After pulling their boats to the shore, they left everything behind and followed Jesus. (Luke 5.8 – 11, Passion Translation, emphasis mine)

Then, in John 13, Peter tries to keep Jesus from washing his feet. 

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” (John 13.6 – 10, NIV, emphasis mine)

Three impetuous declarations, three responses:

• Go away! Jesus responds with encouragement and invitation. You will be part of my mission.
• You won’t die! Jesus responds with rebuke: “Don’t mess with MY mission.”
• You won’t wash my feet! Jesus responds with explanation. 

Jesus reminds us that there is no “one size fits all” approach to interactions. Or, as a friend of mine said once, “Answer the questioner, not the question.”

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4.6, NIV)

And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. (1 Thessalonians 5.14, NIV)