Homily for the 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Oct. 1, 2023. Gospel of St. Matthew 21:28-32. Theme: Walking the Walk, Not Just Talking the Talk
The Parable of the Two Sons in today’s Gospel teaches us to be real careful about judging people based on who they are and how they live. Only God sees into the heart and knows all the various things that have happened in a person’s life that have made them into who they are and what they do. It also teaches us that no one is beyond God’s reach and that it’s never too late to change direction in life. We have plenty of examples of this in the lives of saints who lived far from God for many years and then turned themselves around in amazing stories of conversion. And we have also had our share of those in the opposite situation; of Church leaders who seemed good and holy on the outside but were corrupt and self-serving on the inside.
A majority of the Jewish leaders whom Jesus was addressing in this parable were very much like that. They were so precise and externally obedient to their religious rituals and laws and from the outside looking in, they seemed to have it all together regarding God and devotion. But in reality, they utterly failed when it came to living out the very heart of religion. Even when they saw the miracles Jesus worked before their eyes they remained deaf to His teaching. They are like the first son in the parable, saying the things that make them look good and pious, but never actually following through with what God really asks of them.
On the other hand, the tax collectors and prostitutes were in the opposite situation. They obviously did not care about looking good and virtuous to the people. Tax collectors were Jews who turned traitors, working for the enemy occupied forces and extorting their own people for personal financial gain. Prostitutes didn’t give a second thought to God’s Word about the sacredness of marriage and human sexuality. They made a good living by dragging others into their debauchery. In other words, at first they said “no” to God. But after hearing St. John the Baptist preaching repentance for sin, something clicked inside of them and they turned their “no” into a “yes”. And so they are like the second son.
It seems to me that Jesus is asking each one of us to personally identify how we are responding to God’s Word in our lives. Are we like the Jewish leaders who think they are just fine as they are? Do we think that we will be welcomed into the Kingdom of God simply because we fulfill the formal obligations of our religion? Jesus calls us to examine ourselves on this very important question because He cannot heal what is broken until we admit it and then ask for His help. And a good place to start this process is by reflecting on a verse from our second reading today. In it, St. Paul calls us to proclaim Jesus Christ as LORD and then to live lives that truly reflect what this proclamation means.
You see, in the ancient culture of the early Christians, the title of “Lord” was the way one addressed the ruler of the land or the master of slaves. So, St. Paul is telling us that if we truly profess that “Jesus is Lord” this means that He is the Ruler of my life and the Master of all my actions. In other words, Jesus is to be Lord of every aspect of my existence and not just of my religious devotion. So, we have to honestly ask ourselves: is Christ really and truly Lord of all my life? Lord of my social life, Lord of my financial life, Lord of my sexual life, Lord of my professional life, and Lord of my political life? Do His words and teachings influence, direct and inform all of these aspects of my existence?
The external practices of faith can make us look good and even fool us into thinking that we are doing good, when in reality we are simply practicing an “empty-on-the-inside” religion. In such a situation, our lips say “yes” to God while the actions of our lives are really saying “no”. This is what Jesus was condemning in the Jewish leaders he confronted in today’s Gospel. But in the lived example of the reformed tax collectors and converted prostitutes Christ was reminding us that it’s never too late to change our response. And we can do so the very same way that they did! By being humble enough to take the preaching of St. John the Baptist to heart and put it into practice in our daily lives.
And what was his message? It was simply this: Repent and give evidence by your actions that you intend to change. To repent means to have a change of mind which leads to a change of heart. It begins with humility and means walking the walk and not just talking the talk. It expresses itself by asking God for the grace to turn ourselves around. Repentance is more than the feelings of regret or remorse. It’s a mindful and intentional turning away from sin and selfishness that proves itself in a new way of living, a new way of thinking and a new way of loving that is inspired and enlightened by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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