Each day we struggle to live the life Christ desires for us because of the truth conveyed in these few words, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake.” As I have been saying for the past several days, we are at war with Satan and his demons. Every time we commit to doing the will of God, the devil tries everything in his arsenal to stop us; and that includes send our closest friends and family to convince us to stop (or at least tone down) our foolish faith.
Our Lord predicted this when He said, “Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.” (Mark 14.12) There are few other possible choices of temptation that the devil could send our way than the betrayal of our own family. We must be strong in our faith in Christ and be willing, as so many of the early Saints were, to struggle for it if the need arises.
We are human beings living in a fallen state of sin. Put simply that means we will not always be successful in fending off temptation. Consider today’s reading and you will see the weakness of even the Apostles.
“In the evening He came with the twelve. Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me.’ And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, ‘Is it I?’” (Mark 13.17-19)These few passages indicate that even the most faithful ( Peter was the leader of the Apostles) have moments of weakness in fending off temptation especially in the face of our closest friends and family attacking our faith in Christ. The point is not to be without fault; the point is to be committed to trying as many times as it takes to get it right.
“Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.’” (Mark 14.72)
“Then they all forsook Him and fled.” (Mark 14.52)
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