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LINK TO SCRIPTURE READINGS
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders:
"What is your opinion?
A man had two sons. He said to the first,
'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'
He replied, 'I will not,'
but then changed his mind and went.
The man went to the other son and gave the same order.
He replied, '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 show you the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even after you saw this, you did not change your minds and believe him."
Matthew 21:28-32
The Parable of the Two Sons lacks the color, detail, and emotional content of some of Jesus' other parables. While the two brothers in the Parable of the Prodigal Son are distinct individuals with their own faults and foibles, and while their father's grief, longing, and joy are tangible, there is no such engaging content in this Sunday's parable. Instead, there is a father who commands his sons to go to work in the vineyard, and two sons-- one of whom refuses to obey and then changes his mind, while the one who agrees to follow orders fails to follow through. We neither know what work the father expects the sons to perform, nor why they respond as they do. The first son is initially willful and defiant, but has a change of heart; in contrast, the second son is seemingly compliant but follows his own inclinations instead.
The question Jesus poses to the religious leaders and to us is simple: "Which of the two did his father's will?" But his commentary doesn't end here: "Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you." Immediately, his meaning expands beyond wilfulness v. obedience, suddenly incriminating the religious leaders who think they have answered his question correctly. Like repentant tax collectors, prostitutes and other people on the margins, the first son is righteous in God's eyes; meanwhile, the wilful second son proves to be a hypocrite unworthy of the Kingdom of God. In effect, the simple narrative reverses the status of those who assume they are worthy of God's favor, raising up the very outcasts they despise.
So where do we stand? Like the religious leaders, we know the correct answer to Jesus' question; without any difficulty, we can name the first son as the one who proves worthy of the father's trust. But do we resemble the religious leaders by being hypocrites? Because we observe all the necessary rituals, practices, and prayers, do we assume we have found favor in God's eyes? Is our mercy towards others as great as our self-justification? Do we incriminate ourselves by our judgment of others and by excluding them from circles of acceptance? Sadly, while we may be virtuous in our own eyes, it is the repentant sinner who truly delights God.
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- Why do you think the first son initially says "No!" to his father in today's Gospel?
- What patterns of turning towards God and turning away again do you note in your life?
- How can the Church best imitate the humility of Jesus?
- Why is the old image of the Church Triumphant inappropriate for our era?
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