How was it possible! A short while ago - after Peter had confessed his faith in Him as the Messiah, the Son of the living God – Jesus had said to Peter, ‘…and on this rock I will build My church’ (Matthew 16:18). And now He told the very same Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan!’ How could this be? Had the testimony of Peter not been truthful after all?
Yes, it had been. But Peter did not yet understand to what purpose Jesus had come into this world. He had a concept of the Messiah that did not match with what Jesus said now. Peter would do anything for Jesus, but he was not yet prepared to suffer with Him. Therefore Jesus said, ‘You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’
The fact that God reveals something to us, does not mean we are perfect people. Peter still had to suffer a lot, his soul still had to be cleansed of many things. Indeed, he first needed to put to death his own insights, his own opinions acquired throughout the years and his own zeal. All this had to die, before God could use Peter for His kingdom.
If we are not willing to devote our life and soul completely to Him, then we do not yet have in mind the concerns of God, and therefore we are still totally useless for His kingdom. Only the one who knows what it means to suffer with Jesus and to accept this suffering, has given up his own interests. When we lose ourselves to Him, we are imbued with love for Him Who redeemed us from all sin.
Then nothing and no one can separate us from the love of God anymore. Only then, we can really bear fruit, because in that love we remain in Him, like a branch in the vine.