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Dear Diary,

Today Jesus was teaching as He always did. Yet the message changed today. He began talking about how He must be killed.

I couldn’t believe Jesus was saying such things. I was shocked. He is King and Messiah. How could He die? How could He be the Deliverer if He is dead?

Ever since I was a boy, I have been told our Deliverer would set up His kingdom on earth. The glory and honor of Israel would be restored. All of us believed Jesus was the One.

Didn’t I just tell Him He was the Christ? Maybe no one had said it before, but we were all thinking it.

Jesus had never point-blank asked us before, either. On our way, did just that. He asked us questions about who other people were saying He was.

Then, of course, Jesus personalized it. (He is good at that.) He doesn’t let you go along with the crowd. You have to admit and confess your beliefs.

I answered immediately. Of course, He is the Christ. I believe that with all of my heart. So, if and since Jesus is the Christ, He would have the power to overcome anyone trying to do Him harm.

Haven’t we seen sufficient evidence of Jesus’ power? He healed my mother-in-law (Mk. 1: 29-34) as well as the leper (Lk. 5: 12-16).The blind see (Mk. 8: 22-26). The lame walk (Mk. 2: 23-28). The deaf hear (Mk. 7: 31-37). The mute speak (Mt. 9:27-31). Lazarus and the widow’s son (Lk. 7: 11-17) live. How could they live if Jesus was not the Christ?

Jesus turned the water into wine (Jn. 2: 1-11). He feed thousands of people with just a few fish and loaves (Mt. 14: 13-21). Unclean spirits obey His command to withdraw from people (Mt. 8: 28-34).

Even the elements obey Jesus’ command (Mt. 8: 23-27). He walks on the water (Mt. 6: 48-50.). I remember the time He told us to pull the coin from the fish’s mouth in order to pay the taxes (Mt. 17: 24-27).

This talk of death doesn’t fit. Me being me, I told Jesus so.

Jesus is my Friend. I couldn’t stand to see Him talking in such a way. I love Him so much. I couldn’t image a life without Him.

But Jesus rebuked me. He called me Satan! How could He do that?

I left everything to follow Jesus. How could He say I don’t have God’s purposes in mind? Is He trying to disown me? I thought He loved me.

How could Jesus be so harsh? Is He trying to challenge me again? He’s good at that, too — always trying to get you to think beyond what is actually said and done.

Okay, then. Let’s look at Satan. He wanted things his way. He wanted God to consider what he thought was best. He wanted to call the shots.

Sound familiar? Oh, no. Get thee behind me, Satan!

Peter

Father, we don’t know how Peter felt when Jesus called him Satan. We know how we would have felt. We would have felt angry, hurt and confused. There are times when we, in our pigheadedness, see things only as we perceive them to be. If we do look at other ways, we see only unpleasantness, loneliness and emptiness. We avoid these at all costs. We are quick and fierce in our defense of our viewpoints — even if they are not Your viewpoints — which is most of the time. Lord, help us to see things Your way, according to Your plan. Let us not focus on the hurt and the broken dreams. Let us focus on You. Amen.