How should we conduct.
Should we be kind to people or faithful to the will of God?
Regarding this there is always a dilemma in the pastoral activity:
Then we teach God is a human-friendly God. He is the saviour of his people. Sometimes, however, these two aspects confront head to head and the human side loses often against God's will.
In today's Gospel, Jesus talks about His expected suffering in Jerusalem.
Jesus knew that his life is incomplete without this suffering and death. His Gospel includes this suffering; then only through this suffering, the resurrection is possible.
Peter, however, understands Jesus’ words are not so good.
He can not accept it, that Jesus is going to die like that;
then he was special among Jesus' disciples.
Yes, a loving person can listen this only with a heavy heart.
Peter makes allegations, because he loved Jesus so much.
And in this love he sees only the earthly matters.
Remember the gospel of the last Sunday:
Peter declares, Jesus as “the Messiah”. Peter and other disciples have no full understanding of "the Messiah". They had, like all Jews, a purely secular and political expectation about the Messiah. Jesus therefore bans, to spread this news.
Jesus - the Messiah - had to suffer - not some Roman rulers or political leaders but his own people, even the priests and scribes are his persecutors.
Maybe it is too hard for Peter and friends. May be a shock for a Jew.
Jesus confirms that he has a target – a specific target.
No man can contradict him. Then he follows the will of God.
And for Jesus, anyone who repulses him from this target is the Tempter - the
Satan. It is not against the person of Peter, but against his disabled / disabling attitudes and understanding. Although Peter is his vey special disciple, Jesus corrected him that he is completely wrong with this attitude and is an obstacle to his target.
The Evil – the Satan may not appear in startling / frightening form.
But he may often speak to us as a "friend" as a "Guide".
Many of us fail to distinguish this.
The gospel urges us today to consider such voices in and around our life and to compare whether it is the will / voice of God or the voice of the tempter.
It tells us to have the correct target before us.
Then some "human actions" can contradict the will of God.
We need mental strength for that.
We learn it through our faith.
That's what we learn as praying community.
The teachings of the Church and the Word of God can guide us.
Let us check our ways and goals.
God bless us all with his power to discard the evil – tempter from their lives. Amen!
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Fr Thomas Kalathil
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