The part that always strikes me about this reading is the clarity in which our Lord saw things.
Peter had just told Jesus that He was the Messiah. To anyone around, this probably looked like a friend acknowledging a Friend. Or a disciple reiterating what His Master hinted at. But Jesus, who saw things for what they truly were, saw God working through Peter. And speaking to Him through Peter.
Fast forward a short period of time, and we see Jesus rebuking Peter because He saw Satan working through him. Again, anyone around who saw Peter upset that his Lord would have to suffer would have probably seen this as a friend offering support to his Friend. Or a pupil wanting to protect his Teacher.
I know that is how I would have seen it. (And often times, still do when I read this passage!)
But that would have been the clouded, human view of things.
Luckily, Jesus did not suffer from those vision problems.
Instead of seeing His friend in both scenarios, He saw His Father and Satan. Good and Evil. Black and White.
I wonder what the world would look like to us if we had that clarity?
God Bless.
3 comments:
Interesting thought: to see clearly the separation between good and evil, which is not always clear to human eyes, to have a God who looks deeply enough to know honest intentions. Sometimes I wonder if the world would be an unbearable place for us to live if we had such Godlike penetrating vision...then again, in some ways it might benefit us. I think that there's a reason for us not being God. :)
The thing is, Michael, even today the devil does speak through people and plants confusion and temptations in their minds. He is subtle and very few can see him at work in others.
When we pray "and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" we mean "Lord keep the devil away from us".
Thank you Michael. God bless.
Nice reflection Michael. Thank you.
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