INTRODUCTION
Our dealings with God always dangle between Yes and No. God cannot even trust any of our promises because we have always proven unfaithful to his love. But does that stop us from entering in relationship with God? No. God’s faithfulness is always contagious. it is in loving us that we learn to love him back, and it is in his infinite mercy that we learn to grow in faithfulness. However, today’s Scripture passages warn us to be careful because it does not last always. It is our final decision for or against God, that is, our choosing to obey him gracefully by doing His will or our choosing to go against his will that will decide our eternal reward or punishment. God created us free, and out of our freedom, we are meant to decide our eternal destiny.
FIRST READING: Ezekiel 18:25-28
The book of Ezekiel is the third in a row of the so-called four Major Prophets. He is also one of the prophets who lived in exile. While Jeremiah lived Judah’s downfall in Jerusalem, Ezekiel was deported to Babylon. In today’s chapter, the prophet seems to be dealing with two objections raised by his co-Babylonian Jewish exiles based on their present suffering. The first is the supposition that children inherit the guilt of their fathers and are punished for it, and the second is the belief that God is more strict than merciful, since they could not understand why He will have to put behind him all the uprights actions of someone and punish him simply because of a particular wrong he committed. But today, the Lord speaks plainly of punishing personal sins without making reference to inherited sins. This implies that each is either punished or rewarded according to his or her individual deeds, and never for anyone else’. Hence, today’s passage is a response to the people’s preoccupations. The message is crystal clear that God’s mercy inhabits his justice. While He vows to punish offenders, so also, He vows to forgive any repented soul, and will never remember his past again. Yahweh’s insistence on righteousness is not for personal gratification, but for the general wellbeing and harmony among his people. This is evident, because most of man’s daily dealings are in relations with his fellows. Thus, if his actions are not checkmated and punished, there will not be social justice and harmony.
Like the exiled people, we often fall into the temptation of thinking God’s punishment of our sins does not represent the idea of him being a merciful and loving Father. Secondly, we often find it difficult to fathom why He has to forgive one who repents at the last hour after having indulged in unholy lifestyle throughout his or her heydays. Whichever be the case, the prophecy is set to remind us that God always gives us chances to change and to accept the consequences of that change. God is always ready to forgive; we need only show willingness to accept God’s forgiveness through our forgiveness of each other. The willingness of God to accept a repented sinner also permeated the teaching of the magisterium over the case of a repented apostate that is, one who once “denied his faith” and is ready to come back to the Church. This was dealt with in the 3rd Century’s Synodal council of Bishops under Pope Cornelius in which it was declared that a truly repentant apostate is re-admissible in the Church after receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation and doing penance and crowned with the public profession of the Credo.
SECOND READING: Philippians 2:1-11
Paul was said to have written to the Christian community of Philippi while in prison during the heat of persecutions under the emperor Nero. During this period Paul made his suffering known to the community he so much loved by letting them know that his suffering is a way of identifying himself more closely to Christ (Phil. 1:20-23; 3;10). Paul’s account of personal experience of suffering was meant as an encouragement for the brethren who were also breathing the air of persecution. Apart from this, the greater work carried out by the apostle is that of dealing with many internal issues which were a threat to the growth of the Church. One of those issues is the problem of disunity which was gradually eating up the fabric of the community of Philippi.
Paul uses one of the ancient Christian hymns (though not composed by him) to invite the Philippians to imitate Christ. This hymn-creed was introduced with four statements that express the reality of who they are in Christ :”If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love (in Christ), any participation in the Spirit (in Christ), any affection and sympathy (in Christ),…be of the same mind, have the same love, be in full accord and of one mind” (2:5). This poetic language underlines the two natures of Christ, “in the form of God” and “in the form of a slave” (or servant).
As the hymn states, they need only take Jesus as their model, because Jesus obeyed his Father completely, emptying himself, taking human form and humbling himself by accepting death on a cross. Paul emphasizes the fact that it is because of Christ’s loving obedience to the Father’s will that God the Father exalted Christ, bestowed on him the Name above every other name, and made Jesus the recipient of universal adoration. The message is that if we are united with Christ in his faithful obedience to God, we will also share his glory. Paul adds that such faithfulness and obedience to God demand that “we do nothing out of selfishness or vainglory.” Instead, we should “humbly regard others as more important” than ourselves, “each looking out not for his own interests, but also for those of others.” The hymn exemplifies the “mind” of Christ that we must “put on” when we face each other, which means that we will find unending joy and consolation only when we die to ourselves (Fr Anthony Kadavil).
GOSPEL: Matthew 21: 28-32
Our Gospel page today places us in the context of the glorious entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem which was his last journey into the Holy City for the Passover which will end up in his crucifixion. Matthew sets up this stage as the first part of the numerous open confrontations between the religious authorities and Jesus. These religious leaders were first discontented with the noise of the crowd that accompanied the entrance of Jesus, discontented because He was rubbing them the attention and the respect that should be wholly theirs. Secondly, they felt humiliated by Jesus’ actions of driving everyone away from the Temple. They read such an action as an usurpation of power because obviously, the money changers and the temple traders could not have carried out their business without the approval of the religious authorities.
The scene of this incident was the Court of the Gentiles into which anyone might come. It was always crowded and busy; but at Passover, with pilgrims there from all over the world. In this Court of the Gentiles two kinds of trading were going on. There was the business of money changing. It was expected of every practicing Jew to pay a temple tax of one half-shekel, and it has to be paid near to the Passover time. Hence, the task of the moneychangers was to change foreign currencies as well as unsuitable currencies into the correct currency. However, if the coin was of greater value than a half-shekel, they charged extra for giving back the surplus change. This surplus charge was usually dedicated to maintaining the Temple and the rest go into the Temple treasury for other monetary purposes. This is to say that the original intention behind the whole matter was not bad and abusive; but of course as we know, where there are transactions, there is always the tendency for extra gain, and if not well guarded, it usually lead into abuses. Such was the later development in this type of setting. There was a growing exploitation of the pilgrims who had come to worship by the Temple moneychangers in the quest to make their own profit.
On the other hand, the idea of selling of animals was an interpretation of the Torah as prescribed in Exodus chapter 12:5 which forbade the offering of blemish animals. There were official inspectors of the animals, who sometimes reject animals bought outside and would direct the worshippers to the Temple stalls and booths for purchases.
Jesus saw these acts as incompatible with the original intention and as a desecration of the Temple. The driving away of people from the Temple led the religious authorities into the questioning of his authority; and it is in response to their question that today’s parable was told. The parable was meant as a wake up call to them who were living with the ‘holy conviction’ that their position as the leaders of the people and the observance of the Law serve as an automatic guarantee to possessing the kingdom of heaven.
William Barkley calls today’s parable “THE BETTER OF TWO BAD SONS”. The parable paints a picture of two imperfect sets of people, and naturally non among the two is better than the other. Neither of the two sons in the parable is worthy to be relied on because both brought bitterness to their father. Although from the purview of preference, we will certainly label as good son the one who finally obeyed their father. But we know that an ideal son is one who is ready to obey his father and willingly carry out his instructions.
In any case, the story is told as an illustration of two common sets of people in our society. First, there are people whose profession is much better than their practice. They are quick to make promises; and they naturally appear pious and faithful; but in reality, they are very slow to putting their words into practice. On the contrary, there are those who naturally appear to be very strict. And from their way of talking, they give the impression that they are difficult people to deal with, and they hardly make promises. Meanwhile in reality, we find out they are kind and generous, and they often do it in secret without being noticed. And sometimes we find out that these people may not even have interest in the Church or in any religion, and yet, when it comes to practical life, they live more Christian lives than many professing Christians.
In reference to these categories of people, we learn from the parable that non of the two sons is an ideal son. In fact Jesus teaches us that both sons failed their father but the one who later had a metanoia, a change of heart, showed that he could be managed as a son.
Further, this parable teaches us that promises can never take the place of action, and fine words are never a substitute for fine deeds. The son who said he would go, and did not, had an outward quality of courtesy. He even called his father “Sir” with all respect. He made his father to believe so much in him. But he betrayed his father’s trust. Yes, courtesy which never gets beyond words is a total illusory because a true courtesy is respect for the other.
Jesus concludes the parable by making the religious authorities to accuse themselves. Through their response, they placed themselves in the position of the second son who said yes but failed to follow through. They were so intent on analyzing God’s Law to the point of making a snarl of it; and their spiritual pride (which comes from the fact that they were tagged the chosen people coupled with their claim as experts of the Law) made it impossible for them to recognize that they were sinners too in need of repentance. Jesus confronts their character with that of the tax collectors and the prostitutes who represent the first son in the parable. Such confrontation will definitely not end up well with Jesus.
LIFE MESSAGE
Friends, Jesus calls our attention today to the fact that we all do not merit to be sons of God because we have all disobeyed and rebelled against God in one moment or the other. But more strictly Jesus tells us to be conscious of the danger of thinking that because we are Christians therefore, we have access to the kingdom. Many of us are like the second son who said yes with all excitement but later turned down the father’s request. How often do we say yes to God and fulfil it? We have become so use to God and to his mercy to the point of losing the sense and taste of holiness. Many of us are so much driven today by the spirit of the world such that we do not see anything wrong with certain actions we portray even on social media. Many of us Catholics live under the cover of “The Church founded by Christ Himself”. This type of mentality of believing that we are the true Church has relaxed the faith of many Catholics, while many become unteachable and find it difficult to accept correction out of the pride of knowing it all. Sometimes we need to look back at our origin and ask ourselves whether we are truly living the true testimony of our Christian calling today. How many of us truly aspire to true holiness devoid of camouflage? And out of our lack good testimony of life, many are finding their way out of the Church, and yet we are not concerned. Often time, we are prone to say, “anybody is free to leave”, “we are not looking for members”. Jesus is telling us to be careful because those whom we see today as the strayed ones, the ones outside the Church are making their ways to the kingdom of God. And let us not be surprised that at last they will take the first place, while we eat and dine with God; who fast and pray, and who lead various type of prayer movements will be left behind as well as many of us who are doctors in theology, but who only have an intellectual knowledge of God and not spiritual knowledge of Him. We are called today to renew our love and passion for God. Let us return back to our root. Let us embrace a true life of testimony if not the foundation of our faith will keep shaking over the quake of the kingdom of the world.
PRAYER
Heaven Father, we know we have always made unfulfilled promises to you; and we have often postponed our call to holiness and obedience to you voice. We are truly sorry. Help us today and always to fight against the voices that distract us from responding faithfully to your call and to renew our firm obedience to your commands. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
PAX VOBIS!
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