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August 9
Peter Rebuked
But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me. For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” — Matt 16:23 BSB
Peter’s love for Christ made him recoil at the thought of such a fate for Him. Out of love, Peter tried to hold Jesus back from sacrificing His life. But in doing this, Peter was unknowingly acting like Satan, tempting Jesus away from His mission of sacrifice. The way of the cross wasn’t an accident; it was the path marked out for Christ. If He had turned away from it, He would have failed in His mission.
In the same way, our best friends can sometimes be our tempters. Out of love for us, they may try to keep us from following paths of duty that involve sacrifice. A mother may try to hold her child back from serving in dangerous or difficult circumstances. Any of us, in the warmth of our affection, might try to dissuade our friends from undertaking perilous or costly service, even when it’s their duty to do so. We need to be careful not to do Satan’s work by discouraging others from following the way of the cross. We might think we’re protecting them, but we could be holding them back from the true path of success, which often leads through sacrifice. If we stop someone from fulfilling their calling, we may be robbing them of their crown.
At the same time, we must be on guard against well-meaning friends who would try to hold us back from hard or dangerous duties. In matters of duty, we should listen to one guide alone—the voice of Christ. We aren’t here to seek ease or comfort. We are here to follow Christ, even if that means walking the path of sacrifice and death. We must not let any form of human love turn us away from the way of duty. The path that leads home often passes through the valley of sacrifice.