Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew

But you will compare together His saying to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan,” with that said to the devil (who said to Him, “All these things will I give You if You will fall down and worship me”), “get you hence,” without the addition, “behind Me;” for to be behind Jesus is a good thing. Wherefore it was said, “Come ye behind Me and I will make you fishers of men.” And to the same effect is the saying, “He that does not take his cross and follow behind Me is not worthy of Me.” And as a general principle observe the expression “behind”; because it is a good thing when any one goes behind the Lord God and is behind the Christ; but it is the opposite when any one casts the words of God behind him, or when he transgresses the commandment which says, “Do not walk behind your lusts.” And Elijah also, in the third Book of Kings, says to the people, “How long halt ye on both your knees?

If God is the Lord, go behind Him, but if Baal is the Lord, go behind him.” And Jesus says this to Peter when He “turned,” and He does so by way of conferring a favour. And if therefore you will collect more illustrations of the “having turned,” and especially those which are ascribed to Jesus, and compare them with one another, you would find that the expression is not superfluous. But it is sufficient at present to bring forward this from the Gospel according to John, “Jesus turned and beheld them”— clearly, Peter and Andrew— “following, and says unto them, What do you seek?” For observe that, when He “turned,” it is for the advantage of those to whom He turned.