Dear Brothers and Sisters:
We have been focusing on the section of Matthew’s gospel where Jesus put’s forward the mission of the Twelve. He now comes to the portion where he shares some very heavy thoughts with his disciples about what fidelity to his gospel will entail, namely suffering. In essence, he says that if they are willing to treat me, the Master in such a way, they will not hesitate to do the same to any and all who come in my name. Despite this, he admonishes them not to give up or give in. Though the temptation may be there to water down or stop preaching the gospel out of fear or in order to avoid suffering, do not bend to it. Instead, their very salvation and the salvation of those to whom they are sent depends on their fidelity. They must speak in the ‘light’ and shout it from the ‘housetops’ what they have heard and been taught. Their fears must never stand in their way. It may indeed lead them to martyrdom, but what is the loss of life in this world compared to the loss of life in the next? Here Jesus who is always the keen observer of nature, uses the image of a poor defenseless sparrow as his example. Not one sparrow falls from the sky without the Father’s knowledge. In the same way, his followers, who are worth more than a thousand sparrows will never be forgotten. Men can and will kill the body, however the person whom they should fear is the one who can destroy the soul. Better then, to risk mortal life than to risk your immortal one. Anyone who is not ashamed to proclaim Jesus the Lord in this life, he will defend in the next. Anyone who rejects him will condemn themselves.
Imagine yourself as a new follower of Jesus in the second century. You have found your way to the faith and embraced Jesus and this new way, and it has changed your life. However, at this same time there is a growing response to this new faith in the pagan world around you. The Roman world, once simply suspicious of these Christians now has turned to open hostility and is persecuting them. You, and your friends in your small community of worshippers now find yourselves as public enemy number one. You hear of families being torn apart as family members betray each other and there are whispers of spies looking for opportunities to hand over other followers of ‘The Way’. A new law is passed that every citizen must offer sacrifice to the emperor and worship him as a God. To refuse will lead to arrest, trial and almost certain death, simply for following Jesus. At worship with the community, you hear today’s gospel read. How do you react? Do you refuse to offer sacrifice to the image of the emperor and risk almost certain death, or do you give in out of fear?
My scenario may seem a bit simple or even extreme, but this was indeed the experience of the early Church. The lives of the Martyrs and our family history is filled with literally hundreds of such stories of Christians, many who chose to suffer and die rather than betray the Lord and many others who ‘lapsed’ and chose the easier path in order to save their fortunes and their lives. The early Church struggled with what to do with such ‘lapsi’ who had so obviously chosen a path different from the one that Jesus set out for his disciples.
What does this say about you and me? We live in a day and age where the Church may not be persecuted in the same fashion, but there is no doubt that we are living in the midst of a secularity which exerts a more sublime pressure on us to conform. It’s this same pressure that can rip families apart and cause rifts. It’s a pressure that says if we do not fit in or except the status quo that we should be shunned for beliefs that don’t match what everyone else is thinking or find acceptable. We are encouraged to go with the flow and not challenge progress. But to what extent? What do we lose if we stand up for what we believe in and hold to be true? The opinions of others, though we may esteem them, cannot compare with the only opinion that really counts in the end. The opinion of the one who has the power over both body and soul. To whom do we truly owe our allegiance? I offer these words to you for contemplation. In a world so challenged it is up to each of us to consider our own path. But it is truly that, your path. Let no one else sway you from doing what is right and just in the eyes of God. You will be the one to answer for your own life’s work and hopefully you will be spending a lot more time with him, than with someone who thinks their judgement is what counts.
Peace,
Fr. Steve
