Matthew 16:23-24
Near the top of Rodin's sculpture, Gates of Hell, is the original version of a stand-alone sculpture, The Thinker. In Matthew 16 Jesus admonishes Peter to "Get behind Me, Satan!" God gave man the ability to think and to reason. This is what Peter was doing. He was reasoning out that Jesus was capable of preventing His own suffering and death and therefore exclaimed, "This shall never happen to You!" Rodin's Thinker is very appropriate at the entrance to Hell. Man is very good at reasoning away the need for salvation--or even the reality of God. God gave us that ability to reason, but if it's rooted in the earthly realm instead of the heavenly realm, it can get us into trouble. I can be guilty of this in subtle ways that discourage me from following my heart. If my reasoning is firmly rooted in love (God) and not fear (things of this world), I will be able to resist the devil.
