Get behind Me,
Satan!
[Matthew 16:23]
**********************
"That wasn't a very
nice thing to SAY,
Lord!"
"What,
My beloved."
"This!"
"Read It
to Me,
precious."
"Uh, uh.
It's too HARSH!
I don't LIKE it."
[SILENCE.]
(Grimmace.)
(Stick tongue out.)
(Put hand to stomach.)
(Flip pages.)
"Yeah;
here it is:
Peter took
Him aside,
and began to
rebuke Him...
'Far be it from
You, Lord;
this shall not
happen to You!'
But He turned
and said
to Peter,
'Get behind Me,
Satan!'
[Matthew 16:22-23]
WHY did You
SAY THAT?"
[CURIOUS SMILE.]
[TENDER VOICE.]
"Who is 'You',
My little one?"
(Squint.)
"Eh.....I dunno;
I'm not sure."
[SMILE!]
"I get very
confused, easily.
Plus, I'm lazy."
(Shrug.)
"It was JESUS,
Who said it."
[NOD.]
(Eating a Rolaids.)
(Grimmace.)
(Eat another.)
"It was just too HARSH;
who would SAY that....
to a good FRIEND?"
(Sour face.)
(Putting hand to stomach.)
Even...just, an
ACCQUAINTANCE?"
[PATIENT SILENCE.]
"That's such a HORRIBLE
thing, to SAY!"
[PATIENT NODDING.]
"It must'a REALLY hurt
His friend's FEELINGS!"
(Chomp, miserably, on
Rolaids.)
(Put hand to stomach.)
(Make a face.)
"PETER was just being
a good FRIEND, for
saying that! He didn't
MEAN, what JESUS
SAID, he DID!"
[PATIENT GAZE.]
"That's TERRIBLE!
HOW could SOMEBODY
SAY THAT, to a FRIEND?
And....a GOOD ONE,
at THAT!"
(Close up the Rolaids bottle.)
(Open it, back up, again.)
"PETER was just trying
to be SUPPORTIVE!"
[PATIENT PAUSE.]
"Who is Somebody,
child?"
(Shrug.)
"I dunno.
I'm not sure."
(Frown.)
"I haven't figured
that part,
all out, yet."
[SMILE!]
"Ah.
I see."
"It's all very
confusing: these
Three Different
Personalities."
(Eat third, cherry-flavored
Rolaids.)
"I'm still trying to figure
out my OWN PERSONALITY:
let alone, YOURS!"
(Put hand to stomach,
again.)
(Grimmace.)
[CHUCKLE.]
(Chewing and grimmacing.)
(Silence.)
[SILENCE.]
"I STILL don't think
that was a nice thing,
to SAY."
[SMILING.]
"Your Somebody
knows, child.
Your Somebody knows."
***********************
He turned and said,
'Get behind Me,
Satan! You are
an offense to Me,
for you are not
mindful of the things
of God, but the
things of men...
If anyone desires
to come
after Me,
let him deny
himself,
and take up
his cross,
and
follow Me'.
[Matthew 16:23-24]
Read more articles by Julie Michaelson or search for articles on the same topic or others.
