Then Peter took him aside and began to reproach him, “Never, Lord! No, this must never happen to you!”
But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path.
You are thinking not as God does, but as people do.” Then Jesus said to his disciples,
“If you want to follow me, deny yourself. Take up your cross and follow me.
For whoever chooses to save his life will lose it, but the one who loses his life,
for my sake, will find it. What will one gain by winning the whole world,
if he ­destroys his soul? Or what can a person give, in exchange for his life? Know,
that the Son of Man will come, in the glory of his Father with the holy angels,
and he will reward each one according to his deeds.

LECTIO DIVINA:

Read: The Prophet Jeremiah suffers ridicule as he speaks on behalf of God.
Siding with God is not an honor in this world—it is a disgrace.
But a child of God does not submit to the standards of this world.
Jesus affirms this by facing death for God than living life for this world’s wickedness.

Reflect: People committed to truth and justice do not need high intelligence to sense their impending death.
Mahatma Gandhi was aware that, in his every move promoting peace, an angry attacker stands nearby.
In every speech Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered, there are guns readily aiming at him.
It is not a matter of whether they will die, but a matter of when. It is the same with Jesus and his death.
Every time he relays a stabbing message of God, He knows His hour is coming fast.
But, Jesus sees God’s message far bigger than the plots to kill Him.

Pray: We pray for all those who fight for truth, freedom, and justice that they draw more adherents than plotters to destroy their cause.

Act: Read, watch, and if possible, talk to activist and freedom fighters.
Get inspiration from the way they treat values like truth and justice as much bigger than any ridicule and death threats they receive every day.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2020