Twenty-sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (A) [Mt
21:28-32]
01.10.2023
The Parable of the Two Sons
1. Theme in brief
Change of mind from ‘no’ to ‘yes’
2. Focus Statement
Even the worst sinners, in spite of their obstinate persistence in
sins, and frequent refusal to God’s grace in the past, can change their minds
and become good persons.
3. Explanation
of the text
This Parable of the Two Sons proclaims God’s mercy to sinners
and justifies Jesus’ own ministry of forgiving and accepting them.
Addressed to the chief priests and elders of
The first son was like the outcasts of Jewish society, namely
the tax-collectors and prostitutes; because they accepted “the way of
righteousness” (21:32) preached by John the Baptist. Initially they said ‘no’
to God’s command (represented by the father in this story, 21:29) and
were disobedient to the Law by living sinful lives, but later obeyed God
by changing their mind (that is, by repenting
and reforming their lives, 22:29). Thus, the so-called outcasts who were
despised by the religious leaders believed and repented
(21:32), while the latter (the “religious-minded" people) did not. The
latter turned out to be faithless, and the outcasts faithful, though sinful.
Therefore, Jesus makes a shocking and highly bold statement that the tax collectors and
prostitutes who admit their sins and need for repentance will enter into God’s
Kingdom ahead of the self-righteous Pharisees who think they have no need of repentance
(21:31). Later in Matthew’s Church the Gentile Christians were considered as
faithful in contrast to the faithless chosen people (Israelites), as the vast
majority of them rejected Jesus’ message.
After witnessing the conversion of tax-collectors and
prostitutes, the religious leaders should have been better motivated to accept their
need of reform or change. Even after seeing it,
they obstinately refused to repent and be converted (21:32), because they thought
they were ‘religious.’ But their religiosity meant considering themselves
righteous (hence needing no repentance) and despising sinners as outcasts.
Some commentators say, since this parable speaks about two sons
whom the father asked to work in the vineyard, it has a connection
with Isaiah 5:1-7.
In that passage,
4. Application
to life
Like the father of this parable, God the Father assigns each one
of us to work in his ‘vineyard,’ that is, his Kingdom. The second son, who says, "I
go," makes a promise but never fulfils it. His deeds contradict his words. He
is guilty of both disobedience and deception. He represents those who profess their faith in
Christ, but deny him in their deeds. They appear to be pious
and religious-minded on the surface level by their regular attendance at
religious services or worship but their deeds do not match with their words,
or they do not practise what they profess. Saying ‘yes’ to
God’s will with our lips is not enough; we have to persevere in doing God’s
will till the end of our lives.
There is a lot difference between our saying and doing: Sometimes we bluntly
say ‘no’ to God and neighbours by sinning against both, but later when we are
in our quiet moments or when we come to our senses we regret for it
and change our minds like the first son. In our personal lives too, at times due to
human frailty and allurement of the world we stubbornly refuse to be
converted or to yield to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Later on we
give a second thought to it and realize how obstinate and foolish we were in
refusing the promptings of the Spirit. Then we turn back to God and begin once
again to do his will. Sometimes when we are very angry with somebody, we blurt
out rough, bad and threatening words. But later on we regret for behaving in
that manner. When we realize our mistake, if we say sorry to such people we are
like the first son of today’s parable.
Even the worst sinner, in spite of his/her obstinate persistence in sins, and frequent refusal to God’s
grace in the past, can always change his/her mind and become a good person. The
worst sin is the sin of hardness of hearts and refusing to be converted till the end of our lives. If
a person has lost the sense of sin and does not think there is anything called ‘sin’ in this
world, then where is the point of repentance? Though the Holy Spirit prompts
him/her to admit his/her sins, he/she stubbornly shuts down his promptings.
Jesus calls this type of sin, a blasphemy against the Holy
Spirit (Mk 3:28) which can never be forgiven, because one who does not believe
in sins does not feel the need of repentance till the end of one’s life. If
there is no repentance, where is the question of forgiveness?
Like the second son, sometimes we say ‘yes’ and ‘yes’ in words,
but they are only sweet words; we do not keep them. It is like saying
‘yes’ with our lips and ‘no’ in our action. Some people who
appear righteous, spiritual-minded and pious do not think that they also need
to change. They blame their family/ community/ society/ organization/
system for all the problems, including their own failures. They think they are
ok and others are not; hence others have to change. Like the scribes and
Pharisees they do not feel the need to be converted at all times. According to
Jesus, tax collectors and prostitutes who repent will enter into God’s Kingdom
ahead of such people. They cannot enter into the Kingdom, or in plain language
cannot experience the joy of God’s boundless love to a higher degree here on
earth and to the fullest degree hereafter.
There are people in various fields who make a lot of promises like the second
son but do not keep them. For example, when democratic nations go for
elections, their politicians make so many promises to capture votes. But once
they get elected they forget about those promises. In countries where
corruption is high, some politicians make enough fortune for their future during
their one term of office because they are afraid people may punish them for
their failure to keep their promises by voting them out in the next election.
Married people as well as priests make promises before God when they receive
the sacraments particular to them, and the religious do the same when they
profess their vows. If they fail in their fidelity, they become like
the second son. All of us have made promises in our baptism to renounce evil and to live
for God alone, but often we fail to keep them.
Today’s gospel-message reminds us that our fine words can never
be a substitute for fine deeds. John writes in his First Letter: “Let us
love not in word or speech, but in truth and action” (1Jn 3:18). It is a
fact that children get influenced more by our example or deeds than by our words
and oral instructions about what is right and what is wrong. That is why it is
said, “Our actions speak louder than our words.” Again, one more saying also
sounds so true in this context: “Values are not taught, but caught.” It is true
that children/ students/ subjects catch moral, spiritual or social values from
parents/ teachers/ superiors when they see them practising the values
they teach with their words. For instance, if parents often tell their children
not to fight among themselves, but children see their father and mother
fighting openly, they fail to obey their words. When they observe them not
practising what they teach, they lose respect for them. No
respect, no obedience. When there is no obedience, parents, elders and teachers
cry, “Gone are the days when children/students used to obey!” May be in olden days
they used to obey out of fear; now if ever they obey, they will do so out of
respect. And how respect is generated? Of course, by synchronizing our ‘audio’ with ‘video,’ that
is, matching what they hear from us (when we teach and preach to them) with
what they see in us – our personal example before them.
This parable speaks about a change of mind twice: (1)
the first son changed his mind (21:29) and went for work in spite of saying he
will not; and (2) the tax-collectors and prostitutes changed their mind
and got converted but the Pharisees and the elders did not (21:32). This is
what is meant by conversion – a change of mind, attitude or way of
thinking. If we are always thinking negative and evil thoughts, our mind
gets used to think negatively and wickedly; hence it gets programmed to that
direction. It is something like an aeroplane which is fitted with an auto-pilot, that is, its
engine is already programmed to run in a particular direction, speed and
altitude. Unless the auto-pilot or programme is changed, it will run in the
same way. Human mind also is like that. As Robin Sharma says, human mind is a
wonderful servant, but a terrible master. If we do not discipline our mind and
make it our servant by substituting every negative or evil thought with a
positive or good thought, or change our way of thinking, our mind will become
our master. Then it will become a terrible master and take us where we should
not go.
Even Christian
love (agape in
Greek), which in the NT means primarily a concern for the good
or welfare of others, is a decision of the mind
to be made everyday. We need to decide to do good even to those who do not do
any good to us or harm us. When our mind prompts us not to love such people,
each time we need to decide to love by changing our mind just as the
first son did according to today’s parable.
5. Response to
God's Word
Jesus challenges each one of us today with the opening words of
this parable, “What do you think” (21:28)? Can both the sons inside us change
their minds? What do you think? Do our worship, prayer and church attendance
match our action and behaviour? We praise God with our lips and say that we
shall do his will; in spite of it, do we follow the ways of the world? Do we
give bad example to children or subordinates by not matching our words with our
actions, and thus lose their respect as well as obedience? Are we not like the
second son, if in meetings and discussions we speak beautiful words, make good
decisions and produce thought-provoking reports, then go home and forget about
them? Do we often fail to keep our promises?
6. A prayer
O God of truth, grant that our ‘yes’ to you may not be only with
our lips but also in our action. Save us from self-righteousness and hardness
of heart so that we may always feel the need to repent and reform ourselves. We
regret for the times we failed to keep our promises to you and to others. Give
us the enlightenment, grace and courage to change our attitudes when needed.
Amen.
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