JESUS REBUKES "AI" SATAN!
Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
"Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and not only suffer greatly at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, but also be killed and on the third day be raised up" (Mt. 16-21-27).
As you read the following reflection, I encourage you to envision how the conversation between Jesus and Peter might unfold in today's world. Imagine Jesus, the Son of David, Immanuel, stating that he will endure significant suffering, be seized by ICE agents, and possibly face death. The Omniscient One, Jesus, possesses complete knowledge of the past, present, and future. Yet Peter reprimands Jesus, saying, "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you."
Interestingly, Peter is the one Jesus called to be a fisher of men. Peter is the disciple who cried out to Jesus for help as he took tentative steps walking on the water. Peter is the one who correctly responded to Jesus’ inquiry in Matthew's gospel last week, “Who do people say that I am?”
Could this Peter suddenly predict the future? "No such thing shall ever happen to you." Could he miraculously possess the ability to foresee events and assure Jesus that he would not face ICE agents or that government authorities would not harm him? Did Peter use Google or consult an AI search engine to confidently declare these words before Jesus, the Son of David: "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you."
In the above scene, I hope you noted the ongoing social collapse in our society. Rather than placing trust in the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, many people today rely on opaque data search engines, a fallible, man-made tool to address critical life issues. This reliance on human inventions, or should I say algorithms, can sometimes lead us into danger. For instance, AI facial recognition technology is not the impartial tool it is touted to be, and its far-reaching, sometimes life-altering inaccuracies disproportionately affect communities of color. Depending on the nature of the search, information retrieved through AI can be biased by design, by data input and output, and by social deployment.
When we click to proceed but do not pause for insight, when we do not even check the reliability of a web page, the veracity of the references used, or the date information was posted, we are no better than Peter, who essentially told Jesus, "I got your back." Really?! How could he, given that he was in a situation he could not fathom and thus could not accurately understand? Placing his trust not in the infallible One who knows all, Peter exalts artificial intelligence, alternative information, and aspirational (but false) intentions that go against God’s Divine Plan. Algorithms are not Divine Guidance!
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Now, you have to appreciate Jesus's response. Firstly, Jesus demonstrates compassion for Peter. He looks into Peter's heart, understanding that Peter has good intentions but needs to learn how to wholeheartedly trust the source of true wisdom and insight. Peter needs to nurture faith because Jesus is prophesying about things not yet documented in any book or database. Secondly, Jesus doesn't depend on the latest AI facial recognition technology to detect Satan’s influence on Peter’s mindset. Why else would Peter utter the most foolish thing one could say to Jesus, the all-knowing Son of God: "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you." And finally, understanding the devastating impact of indiscriminately following Peter’s mindset, Jesus rebukes AI-SATAN, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."
Because humans don't think like God, man-made AI can never comprehend divine matters. A database that only utilizes past information: AI operates on data fed into it, running algorithms to suggest patterns. For instance, if I visit the same store for five consecutive days, this data is recorded and used to build algorithms. On the sixth day, my iPhone will predict the travel time to that store based on my previous behavior, even if I'm actually heading to church. "Sometimes a way seems right, but the end of it leads to death!" (Pro. 14:12).
Ultimately, no one can think like God. Instead, one must ". . . deny himself, take up his cross, and follow. . ." Jesus. We should not rely on AI to guide us because Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We follow Jesus because he, "know[s] when [we] sit and stand; [he] understand[s] [our] thoughts from afar. [He] sift[s] through [our] travels and [our] rest; with all [our] ways [he is] familiar. Even before a word is on [our] tongue, LORD, you know it all" (Ps. 139:14). Whether you have no money in the bank, your credit card is maxed out, you've received dire news from doctors, or your medical bills are overwhelming, "the Son of Man will come [to you] with his angels in his Father's glory," because you are a follower of Christ. God will protect you with his ". . . pinions (part of a bird's wing), and under his wings you may take refuge; his faithfulness is a protecting shield. You shall not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day, Nor the pestilence that roams in darkness, nor the plague that ravages at noon. Though a thousand fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, near you it shall not come" (Ps. 91:5-7). AI-Satan cannot touch Jesus.
“Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect” (Rom. 12:2).
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