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Twenty-sixth Sunday – Year A – Ordinary Time
Readings: Eze 18:25-28; Phi 2:1-11; Mt 21:28-32.
1/ First Reading (Eze 18:25-28): 25 You say, “The Lord’s way is not fair!” Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair? Are not your ways unfair? 26 When the just turn away from justice to do evil and die, on account of the evil they did they must die. 27 But if the wicked turn from the wickedness they did and do what is right and just, they save their lives; 28 since they turned away from all the sins they committed, they shall live; they shall not die.
2/ Second Reading (Phi 2:1-11): 1 If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. 3 Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, 4 each looking out not for his own interests, but also everyone for those of others.
5 Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, 6 Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. 7 Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, 8 he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. 9 Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
3/ Gospel (Mt 21:28-32): 28 “What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 He said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went. 30 The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did his father’s will?” They answered, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. 32 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 him.”
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I. THEME: God’s way and human way
Today readings ask us to do two things:
(1) To look into us to examine of our conscience: One of the people’s most wicked habit which today first reading, and the Gospel condemns is the arrogant attitude that one considers himself as the righteous. This bad habit offends God and insults others. It offends God because one criticizes God’s way as not righteous because He considers the righteous as equal to the sinful. One insults other as a sinner and not wants him to have an opportunity to repent.
(2) To look at God: God’s standard and way are not like human standard and way. He not only judges people according to justice but also according to His mercy. In Ezekiel, He clearly said: “11 Answer them: As I live—oracle of the Lord God—I swear I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live” (Eze 33:11).
Which way is better? Today readings show us the correct view about these two ways.
II. ANALYSIS:
1/ First Reading: God opens doors for all people.
The self-righteous feel annoyed when they see God has compassion for sinners and complain: “God’s way is not fair!” Or when they see God treats the Gentiles with benevolence, they are jealous and compare enviously: Why did God treat the righteous as equal to sinners?
God answers them: “Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair? Are not your ways unfair?” Chapter 18 of the Book of Ezekiel listed four possible ways which can happen:
(1) The just who always do right things shall live. We can say with certainty that no one belongs to this category except Mary, Jesus’ mother.
(2) “The just turn away from justice to do evil and die, on account of the evil they did they must die.”
(3) “The wicked turn from the wickedness they did and do what is right and just, they save their lives; 28 since they turned away from all the sins they committed, they shall live; they shall not die.” Majority of people belong to this category.
(4) The wicked who persist in their sins shall die.
The category which the first reading wants to emphasize is the third case. This is one of Ezekiel’s main themes: God is not pleased to see the wicked dying; but He wants them to repent and to live. Raising this theme Ezekiel wants to show that God’s way is different with human way. According to human way, anyone who committed an offense, he must be punished. According to the Hammurabi’s laws: “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life.” The death penalty for anyone who kills a person is an example of this law. But Jesus’ teaching is different: “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. 40 If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. 41 Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”
2/ Second Reading: Preserve unity in the humble attitude.
2.1/ St. Paul listed out three virtues to build up a community and three vices to avoid because they shall destroy it.
A. Three virtues to build up a community according to God’s way:
(1) Unite with Christ: Through the sacrament of Baptism, all of us are members of one body which is the Church; all have a duty to keep Christ’s body wholly.
(2) Charity: “If a horse is sick, the herd shall not eat grass.” If a brother is lost, Christ’s body is not wholly.
(3) Unity in one Spirit: All Spirit’s gifts which we receive are for upbuilding and protecting unity of a community.
And St. Paul gives us his advice: “1 If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing.”
B. Three vices to avoid because they shall destroy a community according to human way.
(1) Jealousy: One is irritated when he sees other is better than him and find a way to get rid of him.
(2) Vainglory: One tries all ways to receive praises, even self-praising, and is irritated when people praise others.
(3) Selfishness: One tries to cumulative everything for oneself and never pays attention to others’ needs.
And St. Paul advises the Philippians: “3 Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, 4 each looking out not for his own interests, but also everyone for those of others.”
2.2/ To oppose the pride of those who consider themselves as righteous, St. Paul emphasized Christ’s humility and obedience: His empty-out (kenosis) through His absolute obedience to the Father. Paul expressed fully God’s salvation plan in the only five condensed verses: “5 Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, 6 Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. 7 Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, 8 he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.”
St. John Chrysostom pronounced that this is the true humility because though Christ has the divine substance, but He was willing to accept the human substance by His incarnation. Moreover, He also emptied himself, obeyed the Father to the point of death, even death on the cross.
2.3/ The highest glory through the absolute obedience: The reason why Christ captures the highest glory is His kenosis (empty out). The author of the Letter to the Philippians confirms this point: “9 Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
3/ Gospel: To listen and to do God’s will.
3.1/ How to find out who do God’s will: The scribes and the Pharisees are those who consider themselves as the righteous, so they criticized Jesus when they saw Him in the same table with tax-collectors and had compassion for sinners and prostitutes. To help the scribes and the Pharisees to recognize their true identities, Jesus posed for them a story: “28 “What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 He said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went. 30 The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did his father’s will?” They answered, “The first.””
As in the first reading, we can list possible cases that can happen though the passage only listed two main cases:
(1) Listening and doing the father’s will: As Jesus always listens and does His Father’s will.
(2) Not listening, but later changing his mind and doing the father’s will: This is the first son’s case.
(3) Listening but not doing the father’s will: This is the second son’s case.
(4) Not listening and not doing the father’s will: There exist sons who are not bothered to listen to his father, how can they know his father’s will to do?
What to be desired is the first case, but it is rarely happened. Next is the second case which both the first reading and the Gospel aim at. Although it is imperfect; but it is still better than the last two cases. The third case happens for those who love their father by words of mouth; but don’t show by their acts. They promise many; but seldom do them. The last case happens for disobedient children.
3.2/ Jesus’ intention: Comparing the four above cases, we can recognize Jesus’ intention. The tax-collectors and the prostitutes belong to the second case, though they didn’t do God’s will from beginning; but later they repent and do His will. The scribes and the Pharisees belong to the third case, though they know God’s will expressed in the laws; but they don’t practice them. Not only that they even criticize and prevent sinners to come back to God. They forget that all people can be changed: from bad to good and the reverse.
Therefore, Jesus warns them: “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. 32 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 him.”
III. APPLICATION IN LIFE:
– God opens the doors for all: the righteous and the sinners. He doesn’t want sinners to be died; but wishes them to repent and to live. If God judges according to the self-righteous’ way, no one can be saved, because all are sinners before Him. When one wants God to judge only according to justice, he voluntarily wishes the death penalty for himself. The only way to have salvation is one must rely on God’s mercy.
– Remember the three vices that shall destroy a family, or a community are: jealousy, vainglory and selfishness. To build up a family or a community, we need to do three things which are: to unite with Christ, to have charity and to unite with others in the Spirit. Christ’s exemplar in humility and obedience is the model for us to follow.
– Since the scribes and the Pharisees are only worried about their fame and rights, they can never understand God’s suffering when He sees even one of His children is lost.
– The ideal way is word must be accompanied with act because the kingdom of God is only for those who listen and do God’s will; but if it can be done at first, it can still be changed later.