In today's Gospel reading, Jesus talks to us about how God values when we actually do what God calls us to do, rather than simply saying that we will do what He asks us to do. Jesus also points out that there are those among us who we may despise, but who might be getting into Heaven before us if they do God's will while we fail to do so.
In today's Gospel, we hear that
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
“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.’
The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’
but afterwards he changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go.
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.
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.”*
Here through a parable, Jesus illustrates that what one says, about what one will do or not do, matters less than what one ultimately does. The first son says he will not go work in the vineyard as the father requests, but later he goes and works there. He is seen as doing his father's will, despite his initial refusal.
At first we might speak rebellious words to God; we might say that we are not going to cooperate with Him. We might say that we are going to do things our own way rather than trust in God. However, despite initially rejecting God's will, later we can choose to trust in God, obey His commandments, and do His will. We can decide to love our neighbor by opting to perform loving acts of compassion everyday for those around us.
In the parable, the second son says he will go work in the vineyard as his father directs him to do, but then does not go work there. Not going to work, he is seen as not doing his father's will; in merely offering his words of acquiescence, he does not fulfill his duty to his father.
When we talk about loving our neighbor, but then do nothing to love our neighbor, we do not do God's will. It is not the shape of the words we speak, but the state of our hearts which define our relationship with God and with our neighbor. When we truly love, this living love is seen more tellingly in our acts than in our words. People can tell who true Christians are by witnessing ardent acts of love.
After the parable, Jesus tells the chief priests and the elders that tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God before they are. He was telling those responsible for the moral leadership of the people that those who were much maligned in society were entering God's Kingdom before them. One is not guaranteed safe passage from one's title or position in life. Those who are marginalized, seemingly rejected and scorned, may be ahead of us. Given that they may be further along than us, one could do well to have the humility to realize that one has something to learn from them.
Who are those who are stigmatized, who are on the fringes, who are the dispossessed today who we push away, yet who might have something to teach us? Who do we ignore who might be sent into our lives to help us, even though we think they need our help?
I am reminded of a particular homeless woman who here I'll call "Catherine." She is a very social, warm, caring, attentive, giving person. When someone is in trouble, she jumps forward to help that person in need.
Recently I heard a couple of people talking about Catherine. The first person shared that Catherine had informed him of something, and the second person said, "She's a meth addict." The second person said that Catherine is addicted to methamphetamines, insinuating that one could not believe what she said or rely on her. Yet her friends rely on her to help them to replace their basic property after it has been lost or stolen. Catherine leaps forward as a Good Samaritan to assist those who have been beaten and left by the side of the road to die.** She actually acts to help. One cannot dismiss her as a lost cause simply because she might be a drug addict.
I am also recalling how someone I know had been reaching out to Catherine over a period of weeks. This helper had been repeatedly going to Catherine and assisting her in little ways. Catherine explained to him that he was doing well by consistently trying to help. She went on to emphasize that someone in need is encouraged by a person who consistently shows up to help. Catherine, supposedly a drug addict, was counseling, advising and encouraging this person who kept showing up to try to help her. This apparent drug addict was giving valuable feedback and direction. Catherine, living on the fringes of society, despised and scorned, was giving thanks, was encouraging her neighbor, and was showing love to the person standing in front of her.
Drug addicts and homeless people are capable of love. They might love their neighbor better than others. We might be able to learn from them. If we dismiss people, we can't learn from them. Yet if we welcome someone, if we welcome the stranger in front of us, we are showing that we are willing to listen to that person.
We show our willingness more through our actions than simply through our words. It's not what we say, but what we do, that most matters. Yet it's not just what we do, but with how much love we do it, that matters even more. Saint Teresa of Calcutta advises us, "In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love." Saint John of the Cross sagely counsels us, "In the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love." At the end of our lives, we will be judged on how much, and how fervently, we have loved God and our neighbor.
To know how to love, I look to Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God. In our everyday lives, we meet Jesus in our neighbor. Jesus is present in those who are impoverished; He is in the least among us.*** We have much to learn from our neighbor, especially those who are poor. When we make their struggles our own, we come to have compassion. Becoming compassionate, we show the love we would like to receive if we were in their place. Then with such understanding, we can come to love our neighbor as ourselves.**** Then we can realize that we and our neighbor and God are much closer than we had previously thought, a loving embrace patiently waiting to be accepted.
* Matthew 21:28-32
** Luke 10:29-37
*** Matthew 25:40
**** Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Leviticus 19:18; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14
In today's Gospel, we hear that
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
“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.’
The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’
but afterwards he changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go.
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.
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.”*
Here through a parable, Jesus illustrates that what one says, about what one will do or not do, matters less than what one ultimately does. The first son says he will not go work in the vineyard as the father requests, but later he goes and works there. He is seen as doing his father's will, despite his initial refusal.
At first we might speak rebellious words to God; we might say that we are not going to cooperate with Him. We might say that we are going to do things our own way rather than trust in God. However, despite initially rejecting God's will, later we can choose to trust in God, obey His commandments, and do His will. We can decide to love our neighbor by opting to perform loving acts of compassion everyday for those around us.
In the parable, the second son says he will go work in the vineyard as his father directs him to do, but then does not go work there. Not going to work, he is seen as not doing his father's will; in merely offering his words of acquiescence, he does not fulfill his duty to his father.
When we talk about loving our neighbor, but then do nothing to love our neighbor, we do not do God's will. It is not the shape of the words we speak, but the state of our hearts which define our relationship with God and with our neighbor. When we truly love, this living love is seen more tellingly in our acts than in our words. People can tell who true Christians are by witnessing ardent acts of love.
After the parable, Jesus tells the chief priests and the elders that tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God before they are. He was telling those responsible for the moral leadership of the people that those who were much maligned in society were entering God's Kingdom before them. One is not guaranteed safe passage from one's title or position in life. Those who are marginalized, seemingly rejected and scorned, may be ahead of us. Given that they may be further along than us, one could do well to have the humility to realize that one has something to learn from them.
Who are those who are stigmatized, who are on the fringes, who are the dispossessed today who we push away, yet who might have something to teach us? Who do we ignore who might be sent into our lives to help us, even though we think they need our help?
I am reminded of a particular homeless woman who here I'll call "Catherine." She is a very social, warm, caring, attentive, giving person. When someone is in trouble, she jumps forward to help that person in need.
Recently I heard a couple of people talking about Catherine. The first person shared that Catherine had informed him of something, and the second person said, "She's a meth addict." The second person said that Catherine is addicted to methamphetamines, insinuating that one could not believe what she said or rely on her. Yet her friends rely on her to help them to replace their basic property after it has been lost or stolen. Catherine leaps forward as a Good Samaritan to assist those who have been beaten and left by the side of the road to die.** She actually acts to help. One cannot dismiss her as a lost cause simply because she might be a drug addict.
I am also recalling how someone I know had been reaching out to Catherine over a period of weeks. This helper had been repeatedly going to Catherine and assisting her in little ways. Catherine explained to him that he was doing well by consistently trying to help. She went on to emphasize that someone in need is encouraged by a person who consistently shows up to help. Catherine, supposedly a drug addict, was counseling, advising and encouraging this person who kept showing up to try to help her. This apparent drug addict was giving valuable feedback and direction. Catherine, living on the fringes of society, despised and scorned, was giving thanks, was encouraging her neighbor, and was showing love to the person standing in front of her.
Drug addicts and homeless people are capable of love. They might love their neighbor better than others. We might be able to learn from them. If we dismiss people, we can't learn from them. Yet if we welcome someone, if we welcome the stranger in front of us, we are showing that we are willing to listen to that person.
We show our willingness more through our actions than simply through our words. It's not what we say, but what we do, that most matters. Yet it's not just what we do, but with how much love we do it, that matters even more. Saint Teresa of Calcutta advises us, "In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love." Saint John of the Cross sagely counsels us, "In the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love." At the end of our lives, we will be judged on how much, and how fervently, we have loved God and our neighbor.
To know how to love, I look to Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God. In our everyday lives, we meet Jesus in our neighbor. Jesus is present in those who are impoverished; He is in the least among us.*** We have much to learn from our neighbor, especially those who are poor. When we make their struggles our own, we come to have compassion. Becoming compassionate, we show the love we would like to receive if we were in their place. Then with such understanding, we can come to love our neighbor as ourselves.**** Then we can realize that we and our neighbor and God are much closer than we had previously thought, a loving embrace patiently waiting to be accepted.
* Matthew 21:28-32
** Luke 10:29-37
*** Matthew 25:40
**** Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Leviticus 19:18; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14
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