22nd Sunday of Year A

Jeremiah 20:7-9
Romans 12:1-2
Matthew 16:21-27

Are we pressured to conform to the world?

What do we do when we find the world’s values conflicting with our Chirstian values? As Christians living in the world, we often feel the pressure to conform to the world, to fit in. And from time to time we do succumb, compromising our Christian values to fit in. While we may think that our challenge in these modern times is particularly great, the conflict between Christian values and the world’s is as old as Christianity itself. In fact, we can even argue that the challenge is worse for the early Christians.

Let us consider the following moral challenges early Christians faced at the times of the Roman empire:

• A marriage where the man and woman are equal partners was not a common concept. In most families, the man reigns supreme while the woman is expected to be subservient to her husband. Against this social norm, St Paul teaches, “Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Eph 5:21)
• Slavery was rife, where the master may demand anything of a slave, including performing all forms of demeaning acts. But in a letter to his friend Philemon, St Paul urged his friend to treat his escaped slave Onesimus kindly, even requesting that Philemon grant Onesimus his freedom and treat the latter as a brother. “Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother” (Phm 1:15-16).
• Even helping the poor and widows was not a social norm. Against the prevailing worldly norm, St James taught Christians “to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (Jms 1:27)

Thankfully, the world has changed since. In fact, the above are examples of how, over time, the world has adopted Christian values as its own. Indeed, these changes might not have happened if the early Christians have given up on their Christian values and simply conform to the world. And the struggle certainly was not easy for the early Christians. We can imagine how uncomfortable it must have been for these early Christians to swim against the tide. And from time to time, some would turn away from their Christian values and needed reminder to stay true to their faith. We read how St Paul reprimanded the Corinthains in one instance: “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found even among pagans; for a man is living with his father’s wife.” (1 Cor 5:1) Indeed, we have much to be thankful for – to Christians over the ages in holding true to their faith. But the work of the Christian discipleship is never done. It is now our turn. Today, the gulf between Christianity and the world remained significant, for example, on topics such as greed, pride, envy, marriage and sexuality. So, my brothers and sisters, we ask ourselves: What is my response when I am torn between my Christian values and the world’s? Do I stand firm? Or do I succumb?

But it is not just us or the early Christians who were challenged. In the Gospel, we often find the disciples themselves conforming to the world instead of Jesus’ teachings. For example, we read how the disciples arguing among themselves on who was the greatest among them (Mk 9:33-34). We read another example in this week’s Gospel, of Peter wanting glory without the sacrifice. “Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.'” (verse 21-22) This earned Peter a sharp rebuttal from Jesus: “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” (verse 23)

And we should not be surprise that it is the same even in Old Testament times. In the First Reading this week, we read how Jeremiah was mocked and persecuted for his faith. He said, “I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me. For whenever I speak, I must cry out, I must shout, ‘Violence and destruction!’ For the word of the Lord has become for me a reproach and derision all day long.” (verse 7-8) But importantly, in spite of the hardship, Jeremiah was unwilling to deny his faith: “If I say, ‘I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,’ then within me there is something like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.” (verse 9) In the same vein, St Paul counselled us in the Second Reading, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (verse 2) Indeed, as St Paul explained, our sacrifices for our faith is a form of worship: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (verse 1) My brothers and sisters, if we are struggling between our faith and the world, today, let us take Jeremiah and St Paul as our inspirations.

So my dear friends, this week, let us reflect and meditate on our struggles – between our faith and the world. As we do so, let us draw strength from Jesus’ words from the Gospel this week: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?” (verse 24-26)

Amen.