There is a drastic change in the life of a disciple when they quit focusing on ministry and begin focusing on man's interests.

This is evidenced in the interaction between Peter and Jesus found in Mark 8.

Why does Jesus have this drastic reaction?  What does Jesus hope to accomplish with His ferocity?  There is a bit of preemptive strike going on here.  Jesus recognizes as well as anyone the change in focus in Peter.  Suddenly, Peter feels as though he needs to be in charge of the message Jesus delivers.  So Jesus quickly puts Peter in his place  (which is not the "head").  This may seem like a tough saying to hear for Peter, but imagine what would happen if Jesus let Peter continue to be "big brother".

The fact that Jesus instantly reacts to this paradigm saves Peter much heartache.  Has God ever instantly corrected your attitude?  How do you react when it happens?

Jesus is about to change the coarse of His ministry, but Peter was not flexible enough to embrace the change.  Are we?