TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
27 SEPTEMBER 2020
Those
who lived in the ancient world were concerned with bringing honor to the family
and avoiding shame. Given that context,
the younger son in today’s parable brings shame on his father. His shameful response of disobedience and
defiance is a blunt statement that he simply does not want to do what his
father asks him. In contrast, the second
son brings honor to his father by politely responding, “Yes, sir.” (The Greek
word is “Lord.”)
However
shameful the first son’s response may have been, he changes his mind later and
goes to work in his father’s vineyard.
Like tax collectors and prostitutes who had heeded John the Baptist’s
call to repentance, this first son repents and does what his father had asked
him to do. The second son is very pious
and respectful, but he does not go into the vineyard. He is like the chief priests and elders who
had refused to listen to the challenge of John the Baptist as he pointed the
way to Jesus as the Messiah. Despite
their status as religious leaders of the people, they refuse to acknowledge the
truth about Jesus Christ.
When Jesus
asks the chief priests and religious leaders which of the two sons did the will
of his father, they have to respond, “The first.” Their faces surely revealed shock as they
realize that Jesus is referring to them as the second son. They are becoming angry that Jesus is putting
the conversion of tax collectors and prostitutes, the lowest in terms of faith
and morality, ahead of them. Instead of
listening to the parable and applying it to themselves, they begin plotting to kill
this itinerant preacher from Nazareth who continues to humiliate them.
Jesus addresses
this same parable to us. Throughout our
lives, we can identify with both sons in the parables. On the one hand, the parable is a warning. Sometimes we resemble the second son in our
external piety. Earlier in the Gospel,
Jesus warns against those who call out “Lord, Lord” but do not put their faith
into action. When we act like the second
son, he challenges us to examine the integrity of our discipleship and get
involved in the vineyard.
The parable
can also become a consolation when we behave like the first son and refuse to
respond to the Lord calling us. Like the
first son, we can change our minds and repent of our refusal to get involved in
the work of the Lord. Once we have
repented, we can act on the Lord’s mercy, roll up our sleeves, and get involved
in the Lord’s work.
Saint Paul
gives excellent advice on how to respond to the Lord’s call. He writes to the Philippians, who have been
arguing about who was more important and who was more faithful in the Lord’s
service. His magnificent hymn encourages
them to have the same attitude which Christ displayed. Even though he was in the form of God, he
emptied himself, took the form of a slave, and came in human likeness. In his obedience, he endured death on the
cross, and was exalted by God and raised from the dead.
If we
embrace this attitude, we can also do the Father’s will in our lives. If we empty ourselves of pride, arrogance,
and a desire to be important, we too can imitate the example of the first son
and do the Father’s will. In this time
of pandemic and social divisions, everyone has his or her own opinions about
everything. As members of the Church,
Christ’s Body, we can humbly submit ourselves to the authority of our Bishop
and trust that his guidance can lead us to a deeper involvement in the work of
building up the kingdom of heaven. We
can work together to get through these confusing days of the pandemic. We can enter into respectful dialogue with
those with whom we disagree. In a year
when we have been unable to renew our stewardship of service, we can roll up
our sleeves and become ministers of hospitality to welcome those who have the
courage to join us at Mass. The Lord is
looking for discipleship in action.
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