Jesus was facing temptation from one of His closest companions. Satan was tempting Him through Peter by saying He didn’t have to go through His passion and die. In last weeks gospel, Jesus calls Peter the rock on which He will build His church and this week He is calling His rock Satan.
Jesus says, “You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” I would have felt like saying, “Well I am human, Jesus.” We are human and think like humans, but God calls us to try to expand our thought to His level. We have the small picture and God has the big picture. Have you ever prayed to God and not gotten the answer you wanted? God has a plan. Sometimes we can see why somethings are allowed to happen and when we can’t, we just need to trust in God. Peter didn’t see the big picture, but God had a plan and we all know the good that came out of His plan.
I remember sitting in the NICU watching my one day old daughter lying on the bed hooked up to tubes and machines. I prayed the rosary and asked that God would take years off of my life and give them to her. She ended up passing from my wife’s arms into heaven early the next morning. I may never fully understand why God didn’t spare her. I do trust that He has a plan. My daughter’s death has made me a better person. I know that she is looking down on her dad and I don’t want her to see her dad making bad choices. Her death has given me a new perspective on what is truly important in life.
Jesus says, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Let us deny ourselves by taking up the crosses that life gives us and follow Jesus by putting Satan and his temptations to do only what we want and not what God wants behind us.
