The road to hell is often paved with good intentions....and we are the paving-stones.
We are not perfect; all of us are capable of bringing about great good AND great harm.
There are moments in our days to be proud of – moments when love, mercy and forgiveness are shown to family, friends and even strangers. On the other hand there are moments when we speak or act out of anger
or hurt or a sense of injustice towards those same people. Sometimes we allow our misguided personal agendas or hurts get in the way of our compassion. That’s when we need to say, “Get behind me Satan!”
I don’t think “Satan” had a hold of Peter in the moment he rebuked Jesus. I think Peter was possessed by his own personal desire to see Jesus safe, to see Jesus take his rightful place as Messiah. He was blinded by his love and forgot his place and what real love sometimes means…sacrifice, pain and sorrow for the greater good.
The good news in this story is that we are not so different from Peter. We are equally able to be the rock on which faith, hope and love are built as much as we are able to be a rock that causes others to stumble – or even can be used as a weapon.
Jesus harsh words to the disciple he seems to hold in highest regard are the same words we should hear. “Be aware of your motives AND aware of the effect of your actions and deeds. Be aware of the kind of rock you are and if you are not a building block right now, get out of the way!”
We are not perfect; all of us are capable of bringing about great good AND great harm.
There are moments in our days to be proud of – moments when love, mercy and forgiveness are shown to family, friends and even strangers. On the other hand there are moments when we speak or act out of anger
or hurt or a sense of injustice towards those same people. Sometimes we allow our misguided personal agendas or hurts get in the way of our compassion. That’s when we need to say, “Get behind me Satan!”
I don’t think “Satan” had a hold of Peter in the moment he rebuked Jesus. I think Peter was possessed by his own personal desire to see Jesus safe, to see Jesus take his rightful place as Messiah. He was blinded by his love and forgot his place and what real love sometimes means…sacrifice, pain and sorrow for the greater good.
The good news in this story is that we are not so different from Peter. We are equally able to be the rock on which faith, hope and love are built as much as we are able to be a rock that causes others to stumble – or even can be used as a weapon.
Jesus harsh words to the disciple he seems to hold in highest regard are the same words we should hear. “Be aware of your motives AND aware of the effect of your actions and deeds. Be aware of the kind of rock you are and if you are not a building block right now, get out of the way!”
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