THE WORD
Zep 3: 1–2.9–13 / Mt 21: 28–32
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people, “What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He went and said to the first, ‘My boy, you go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not go,’ but afterwards thought better of it and went. The man then went and said the same thing to the second who answered, ‘Certainly, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the father’s will?” “The first,” they said. Jesus said to them, “I tell you solemnly, tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you, a pattern of true righteousness, but you did not believe him. And yet the tax collectors and prostitutes did. Even after seeing that, you refused to think better of it and believe in him.
IN OTHER WORDS
Many parents, teachers and other guides of the young probably will smile or nod in recognition as they listen to this parable. How often does a son/daughter or a pupil say “yes” to a request, and then go away and forget all about it! Or, having initially said “no,” then have a change of heart and finally obey. This can be exasperating at times but it can also be amusing as Jesus turns it into a parable. It seems he understands our frustrations as parents.
Jesus is a master storyteller who uses colorful language to capture the hearer’s attention. However, I’m sure he does not wish merely to entertain us. There is a deep lesson and challenge for us here. If the man in the story is the heavenly Father, then all of us are his children. If the scribes and Pharisees thought of themselves as being the obedient ones, then we - the churchgoers, members of parish organizations and prayer groups – may consider ourselves to be in that category now. Yes, even those of us who are priests and religious could be caught in the same trap. Of course, there is nothing wrong with being virtuous. The problem is that it so often leads us to making harsh judgments against the so-called “unvirtuous” or “disobedient.” Rather than rejoice at their conversion we can at times discover a resentment within us that they are being so easily and joyfully accepted by the loving Father. Or, without in any way justifying the wretched way of life of many of the “disobedient,” we can find ourselves very distant from them and lacking in compassion as they cry to God in their desperation. This is, in fact, our disobedience: to be satisfied with our own virtue and not to do what God really wants of us.
The truth is that both sons in the parable are far from doing the father’s will. We all need to be lowly and humble in order to enter the Kingdom of God. “Create for us a clean heart, Lord, that at your Son’s coming this Christmas we may be found among the humble and lowly people who are worthy to become his sisters and brothers.” (Columba Breen, OSB)
- Fr. John O’Mahony, SVD (DWST, Tagaytay City)
The Word in other words 2015
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
