SATAN CAN BE VERY FRIENDLY

Thursday in the 6th Week of the Ordinary Time
Mk 8:27-33

Peter meant Jesus no harm. All he wanted was for Jesus to be safe from all harm. Yet, Jesus reprimanded him. Jesus even called Peter “Satan”.

One moment Jesus was praising Peter because Peter recognized Him as the Christ. The next moment, hardly a breath away, Jesus was scolding Peter because Peter failed to accept His mission was to suffer, die, and rise again after three days. The first moment was a moment of faith. The second moment was a moment of fear.

Fear is the enemy of faith. Fear creates doubts. Satan sows fear in our hearts. Satan is our enemy.

“Satan” is not a proper name, as your name and mine are. “Satan” means “adversary”. He is our enemy, one who leads us astray and accuses us before God after doing so. Thus, anything or anyone that hinders us from fulfilling God’s will is a Satan to us. Satan does not necessarily have to be something repulsive or hostile at first sight. Satan can be something attractive and friendly on the surface. Yes, a friend can be “Satan” too if he or she causes us to be out of focus in our desire and effort to obey God always. Thus, Peter, though one of Jesus’ closest friends, was called “Satan” in the Gospel today.

Not all our friends who shield us from pain are true friends. There are pains that are necessary for us to endure because of our obedience to God. Over-protecting us from such pains is not friendship. It is what we call “temptation”. A friend who tempts us is not a friend but a Satan.