22ND SUNDAY YEAR A: Jeremiah 20:7-9; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27
“DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS AGE”
“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
These words of St. Paul in the second Reading provide a fitting key for understanding today’s readings. The Christian is called to live in the world, but not to allow the mentality of the world to determine the direction of his or her life. In the Bible, the word “world” can have different meanings. It can refer simply to God’s creation and humanity, which God loves. But “world” can also describe a mentality opposed to God, a way of thinking that places pleasure, power, glory, honour, prestige, influence, wealth, and human approval above God’s will. It is this worldly mentality that St. Paul challenges us to resist.
St. Peter encounters precisely this temptation in today’s Gospel. Jesus announces that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer, be ki!!ed, and be raised. Peter cannot accept such a Messiah. He wants Jesus without the Cross, victory without suffering, glory without sacrifice. He takes Jesus aside and says, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” Jesus’ response is remarkably strong: “Get behind me, Satan!” Yet we must understand the tone of Jesus. He does not speak with hatred toward Peter. Rather, His words come from a wounded heart. Peter, whom Jesus loves, has unknowingly become an adversary because he is presenting the very temptation Jesus has continually faced, the temptation to avoid the Cross.
Earlier in the Gospel we saw Jesus’ experience in the wilderness, He was tempted to use power, satisfy every material desire, perform spectacular signs, and compromise with the world’s expectations. Peter now presents the same alternative thinking; there must be another way. But Jesus knows that the Father’s will cannot be replaced by human convenience. This is why Satan means “adversary.” Any person, influence, desire, or mentality that tries to pull us away from God’s Will, can become an adversarial force. Yet there is an important distinction: Jesus tells Satan to go away, but He tells Peter, “Get behind me.” Peter is not rejected; he is invited to return to his proper place, as a follower. He may misunderstand, fail, and even fall, but he can always follow again. This gives us tremendous hope.
Jeremiah, in the First Reading, understands something of this struggle. He feels deceived, rejected, and exhausted because of his prophetic mission. Yet God’s word burns within him like a fire. He cannot simply walk away. His vocation demands fidelity even when obedience is painful. St. Paul, therefore, invites us to a radical transformation of mind. Christianity is not simply adapting ourselves to whatever society considers successful or desirable. It is allowing God to reshape our thinking so that we can recognize “what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Sometimes even those who love us can unintentionally encourage us to choose the easier path. Genuine love, however, does not always protect us from every difficulty. Sometimes genuine love gives us the courage to remain faithful to God’s call, even when that path involves sacrifice.
Jesus concludes: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” The Christian life is therefore not about escaping every cross but discovering that the Cross, united with Christ, leads to life. Let us ask ourselves: Whose voice determines my choices, the voice of the world or the voice of Christ? Let us pray that the Lord may grant us the courage to resist a culture obsessed with pleasure, power, prestige, and approval, and allow the Holy Spirit to renew our minds. May we never allow the world to define our lives when You have already shown us the way to true life. Amen.
Happy Sunday and God bless you all!
©Friar Emmanuel Idakwo OFM Cap.
