TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME A

[cappie]

Today, Jesus tells of a father and his two sons. The father asks both of his sons to go to work in the family vineyard. The first son says something like, “Sure! I’ll get right on that!” But in the end, he doesn’t follow through.

 Then there is the other son. This is the son who gets most of Jesus’ attention. Unlike his brother, he initially says he won’t help out in the vineyard but winds up doing so in the end. The truth that this parable has to do with the fact that in the end, he showed up. The pattern of this parable is the pattern of our life with God. No matter what we’ve done, or what may have initially prevented us, God is always extending an invitation to us. We are constantly being drawn to new depths of faith.

 This parable lays bare one incontrovertible fact: God isn’t finished with us yet! Although we might wish for God to say to us, “Okay, you’ve gone far enough; you can retire now,” the truth is that in order to live God’s invitation, we must be willing to leave the past behind—no matter how comfortable or familiar or profitable—and turn toward the future, complete with all of its uncertainties and questions and anxieties.

 The chief priests and the elders of Jesus’ day had quite a bit invested in the status quo. Leaving the past behind meant forfeiting their claims to power and position, which had become their entire identity. Life with Jesus meant leaving all of that behind in favour of a future they couldn’t predict and couldn’t control.

One can’t help but wonder if the first son had similar thoughts.

Then there’s the other son.   I can’t help but wonder what made him say “no” in the first place. Could it be that he himself had been told “no” so many times that he thought himself unworthy?

When all you’ve ever known is oppression, why in the world would you trust that this time will be any different?

But God isn’t like you and me. God doesn’t take no for an answer.

Although  people do their best to wall off and box in, God is always breaking barriers and crossing lines and pushing boundaries to invite us to new and abundant life! The parable that Jesus tells is universal because at one time or another, every one of us has found ourselves in that place between the relative ease and comfort of saying “yes” to God, and actually putting one foot in front of the other and walking along the rocky and dirt-paved path to the vineyard.  

We’re all caught somewhere between the “yes” of the first son and the slow conversion of the second son.

Much like the first son, we’ve all been fed one of the biggest lies ever told in the name of Christianity: That following Jesus would be easy.

And much like the second, we all know what it’s like to feel as if too much has been asked and that it’s too far to go. But at the end of the day, one thing remains true: There’s more kingdom to build, and God has put out the call to all who dare to join.

This is what Israel’s leaders in today’s Gospel lacked.  They presumed their superiority—that they had no further need to hear God’s Word or listen to God’s servants. But this is the way to death, as God tells Ezekiel in the First Reading today. We are always to be emptying ourselves, seeking forgiveness for our sins and frailties, confessing on bended knee that He is Lord, to the glory of the Father as St Paul tells us in the Secon Reading.

And so, the Parable of the Two Sons challenges us to reflect on our own response to God's call. Are we like the first son, who may appear obedient but lacks sincerity in our actions or are we like the second son, willing to repent and obey even after our failures?  

Let us remember that God is always ready to forgive and embrace those who turn to Him with a sincere heart. May we be a people characterized by repentance, obedience, and a genuine desire to do the will of our Heavenly Father.

 

 

[BarbTherese]

Thanks cappie