Overtaking the Master
“Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!’” (NKJV) Matt. 16:22
A great temptation in the household of faith is not always open rebellion but subtle ambition -the tendency to run ahead of the Master. In zeal, Christians and leaders may unknowingly press beyond the boundaries God has reserved for Christ alone, and in doing so, they wither the very gains that Christ secured by His cross.
Peter’s story illustrates this struggle. When he tried to dissuade Jesus from the way of suffering, he thought he was protecting his Lord, but he was in fact resisting God’s plan (Matt. 16:21–23). His heart was sincere, yet he stepped into ground that belonged only to the Master. Similarly, Uzzah, in reaching out to steady the ark, was struck down because he placed his hand where God had forbidden (2 Sam. 6:6–7). Both accounts show that zeal unguided by obedience can oppose rather than honor God.
The same danger persists today. Leaders may push their own wisdom, programs, or charisma, believing they are serving the Lord, but in truth they risk overshadowing Christ Himself. This often springs from noble motives - desire for growth (1 Cor. 3:6–7), concern for reputation, helping the fallen (Gal. 6:1), or correcting the erring (2 Tim. 2:24–25). Yet when Christ’s sufficiency is not enough for us, we add to His work, and in that addition we subtract His glory.
The struggle, then, is learning to please the Lord by staying behind Him, not ahead. To teach without becoming the source of truth, to serve without becoming the focus, to lead without claiming the loyalty that belongs to Christ alone - this is the delicate balance of discipleship.
The Lord’s church is strongest not when it overtakes the Master, but when it walks humbly at His side, trusting His pace, His plan, and His power (John 15:4–5). True faith is content to follow, for only there do we find the Master’s approval and the fullness of His blessing. Amen.