Peter's response, "You are the Christ," was speaking from his own point of view, based on his hopes and expectations. Jesus' response, "Get behind me!", reveals how deeply Jesus was rooted in the attitude described by Isaiah in the Third Song of the Suffering Servant. Jesus rooted his identity in his relationship with the Father, and thus he was in line for all the rejection that humanity directs to God.

Jesus filled all of the roles they had in mind, just not in the way they had in mind. His example could liberate others from fear, showing his victory, strength, and power by demonstrating that no assault against his reputation or even his life could make him turn back or shame him.

The Gospel message always aims to alter our perceptions, and following Jesus is a risky proposition. It turns everything upside down and offers us the costly freedom to learn to love God as He is: all powerful in love and life-giving creativity. As we love and see Christ more clearly, we will learn to follow Him rather than our illusions.