February 20, 2020
Thursday for Week Six for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Listen for English
Jesus begin teach the Apostles say the Son of Man must suffer plenty, and the elders, the chief priests and the scribes must reject Am. Dem go kill Am, and after three days, E go rise. E talk this one openly. Then Peter take Am go one side and begin correct Am sharply. Mark 8:31-32
Why Peter go take Jesus go one side and correct Am sharply? Na because e dey vex for Jesus? No, na most likely because of the fear wey Peter dey feel for im heart.
This passage talk say Jesus “begin teach” the Apostles say soon E go suffer plenty, dem go reject Am and kill Am. This one for hard for the Apostles to accept and understand. At first, dem for feel all the feelings and get all the thoughts wey all of us dey get as we dey try understand some news wey hard to take. We fit first refuse to believe am, then begin vex, look for way out, begin panic, confuse, and so on. To pass through different stages of sorrow and acceptance na normal thing, and e be like say na this one Peter dey experience.
As Peter dey struggle for im heart to accept wetin Jesus dey begin reveal to dem, e try block am. For Matthew account of this story, we hear the exact words wey Peter talk: “God forbid, Lord! This kind thing no go ever happen to You” (Mt. 16:22).
True-true, Peter words show say e care about Jesus, but e important to note say, just because Peter care about Jesus, that one no mean say im words dey help.
As the story continue, Jesus correct Peter sharply, but na out of love for Peter, to help free am from im fear and confusion. We fit understand why Peter dey fear as e hear wetin Jesus talk say go happen for the Cross. We fit understand am when any of us dey fear as we face any serious cross or hardship. The main thing here na to know say Jesus no want make we remain inside fear. E no want make we run from the crosses wey dem give us because of our human weakness. Instead, E want make we turn to Am and try think as E dey think, act as E dey act, and face our hardships as E do when E accept to carry Im Cross.
Today, think deeply about how you dey react to the hard things wey God dey call you to do. Yes, you fit dey sure say every day, E dey call you to do things wey need great sacrifice and great love. This one fit pain you. But make you never allow the pain of any cross stop you from carrying am. Pray make you get courage to face your crosses and, if e need am, dey ready to accept the correction wey Jesus give you out of love when you see say you need correction to put you for the road to freedom from fear.
Lord, I know say You take courage face the holy sacrifice of Your glorious Cross without fear. As You dey invite me to follow Your footsteps, I dey see say fear fit overwhelm me as e do Peter. Abeg, give me strength for those times and give me the grace wey I need to tell You “Yes,” no matter wetin You ask. Jesus, na You I trust.
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