Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A
First Reading: Ezekiel 18: 25-28
Second Reading: Philippians 2: 1-11
Gospel: Matthew 21: 28-32
Obedience is clearly the central theme of the readings today. The Gospel today presents us the parable of the two sons. What do we make of this parable? First of all, there are important points we need to make about this parable.
First of all, the context. If you go back to Matthew 21: 23 it is clear that Jesus is in the temple and is talking to the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the Jewish authorities. While Jesus was teaching in the temple, they came to Him and asked Him by what authority He was teaching. This context is very important for the meaning of the parable.
When the owner of the vineyard asked his sons to go into the vineyard and work, they give different responses. The first son’s responds was one of disobedience, but he repents of it, he changes his mind and goes. The second son responds with apparent obedience. He says, ‘I will go,’ but his actions do not follow his words. Although he speaks words of obedience, he actually disobeys and doesn’t go into the vineyard.
Jesus asked a very simple question; which of these did the will of the father? The answer is very obvious. Remember, Jesus is speaking to the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders of the Jews who had rejected John the Baptist. Jesus immediately applies the parable to them by saying, “when John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe in him.” Jesus is applying the parable in such a way that he is correlating the first son with the tax collectors and prostitutes whose initial response to God is one of disobedience, a life of sin but because they responded to the preaching of John the Baptist, they turned from the life of sin to a life of righteousness.
The second son represents the chief priests and the elders who give lip service to God. When John came with the message of repentance, they rejected him and did not repent or turn from their sins. They say they will obey, but they don’t obey.
The primary purpose of this parable is to show that obedience consists in deeds rather than in words. Actions speak louder and are more important than words. Jesus taught us obedience both by His words and by His example. Jesus not only taught us obedience, he also made it the most powerful motivation of his life. He said, “I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but to do the will of him who sent me (John 6: 38). In fact, obedience was the food that sustained him. In John 4: 34 He said, “my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. He submitted Himself to His earthly parents – Mary and Joseph. His obedience knew no limit. The climax of His obedience is the offering of Himself on the cross at Calvary to fulfil the will of the Father.
Nowadays, obedience brings to mind the picture of a grumbling servant or a conscripted soldier. If obedience is to be crushed by the weight of another’s authority, then it is a terrible thing. If on the other hand obedience means the glad acceptance and carrying out of another’s wish or decision, then obedience is taking place all the time between friends and lovers. Mary loved God with all her heart and so when the angel revealed to her God’s plan for her, she surrendered her will to God and said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word.”
Following her example and the example of Jesus, we must learn to surrender our will to the will of God. Obedience does not consist in the execution of orders from a commander. It comes from the love of the command and the love of the one who commands. This is why the service which obedience implies is not born of servitude but is rather the effect of love. This is why Jesus said, “if you love me, you will obey my commands” (John 14:15). Obedience is servility only to those who either have no love or have not understood the spontaneity of love.” So, the merit of obedience is less in the act than in the love, the submission and the devotion that motivates it.
The kingship of God demands loving obedience which is the free acceptance of God’s rule. When God entered into covenant with His people, he said, “if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you will be my people and I will be your God.” When Satan first tempted man to disobey God, what promise did he make to man? – “that he would be like unto God.” From the moment of that first fall, it is the desire of man to deny his dependence on God by setting himself up as a god. Those who are familiar with the philosophy of Fredrich Nietzsche know that the will that is not offered to God wants nothing but power. His will to power leads to atheism, an atheism of the will which sets itself up as God.
This was the problem of the chief priests and leaders of the people. Pride kept them from discovering the simple truths that the tax collectors and prostitutes were discovering. For this reason, Jesus says the tax collectors and prostitutes are on the path to holiness whereas the religious leaders are not. Many times, many of us who think we are religious and pious struggle with pride and we become so critical and unrepenting.
The most important lesson we can take home here is to seek the openness of the tax collectors and prostitutes who recognize their sinfulness and their need of repentance. We must also seek the path of humility. St Paul presents us in the second reading, the example of Christ as a model to follow. He said, “in your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus.” He had the same glory with God, but He did not cling to His equality with God. He emptied Himself taking the form of a slave. The challenge is for us to empty ourselves and become witnesses of the freedom that comes from total surrender to the will of God.
Happy Sunday!
Fr Chidi Onwuka MSSCC