2. What was Peter’s reaction to Jesus’ words about His future suffering, and how did Jesus respond?

² Jesus’ days are numbered. Peter, though, bristles at such a seemingly morbid thought. He cannot accept that the Messiah will really be killed. Therefore, Peter dares to rebuke his Master. Impelled by the best of intentions, he impetuously urges: “Be kind to yourself, Lord; you will not have this destiny at all.” But Jesus immediately rejects Peter’s misplaced kindness, as positively as one would crush the head of a poisonous snake. “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you think, not God’s thoughts, but those of men.”​—Matthew 16:22, 23.

 3. (a) How did Peter unwittingly make himself an agent of Satan? (b) How was Peter a stumbling block to a course of self-sacrifice?

³ Peter has unwittingly made himself an agent of Satan. Jesus’ retort is as decisive as when he answered Satan in the wilderness. There the Devil tried to tempt Jesus with an easy life, a kingship without suffering. (Matthew 4:1-10) Now Peter encourages him to be easy on himself. Jesus knows that this is not his Father’s will. His life must be one of self-sacrifice, not one of self-gratification. (Matthew 20:28) Peter becomes a stumbling block to such a course; his well-meaning sympathy becomes a trap.a Jesus, though, sees clearly that if he entertained any idea of a life free from sacrifice, he would fall out of God’s favor by being caught in the death grip of a satanic trap.

 4. Why was a life of self-indulgent comfort not for Jesus and his followers?

⁴ Peter’s thinking, therefore, needed adjustment. His words to Jesus represented a man’s idea, not God’s. A life of self-indulgent comfort, an easy way out of suffering, was not for Jesus; neither was such a life to be for his followers, for Jesus next says to Peter and the rest of the disciples: “If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown himself and pick up his torture stake and continually follow me.”​—Matthew 16:24.