Today’s Sunday texts include interesting topics that touch us all. So, for example, personal vs. collective responsibility; our attitude towards the will of the Father and also the perception of the Father: either as Master-Slave or as Master-Father. It also speaks of our willingness to submit to God’s will and the humility with which we view ourselves. Further on our constant inner struggle between want and want; between what is expected of me and what I expect; between the external, distorted, and even untrue image that we create of ourselves and identify with, and the true, honest image of ourselves… and so we could go on…
Let’s start with the first, Old Testament, reading. He echoes the ranks of the Babylonian exiles and is rightly critical. “You say, the Lord does not do right!” “Is it really God who does not do right, or you presumptuous ones who criticize God himself? He who is just – he punishes iniquity and evil, but he is also generous, merciful, and forgiving – if you recognize your actions as evil, you will turn away from him and act righteously. Then he will save you, deliver you from the death that lawlessness and sin bring.”
Ezekiel points to the Lord, who is always and under all circumstances just (He and no other can be) and who again and again gives a chance to return, to convert his lost, blinded sons. A few centuries later, the Gospel speaks in the same spirit. It begins with a parable. It is perhaps worth recalling that in the preceding text, the Pharisees criticize Jesus, even more, and directly attack him; they attack him with his words taken out of context and more or less insult and belittle him. After all, nothing new with those who personify the right to their own truth, who assert themselves and make themselves visible at the expense of others; who appropriate a monopoly on God, etc. sacred theology, and in their pride and supremacy they cannot tolerate other opinions and attitudes.
The Pharisees from today’s Gospel approach Jesus with a provocative question: “by what authority do you do these things?” They allude to his scandalous behavior in the temple, to his unquestionable healings and forgiveness of sins, which after all, a “mere” person cannot do, let alone a countryman from Galilee. Jesus does not answer them, because they do not want to hear an answer anyway, but he offers them the parable of the two sons.
If sons, then they have one father. In the figurative sense of the word, it is a parable about the sons of the chosen nation, who, however, have a different, diametrically opposed, relationship to their father. That first son represents the Pharisees. Those who show off their service to God, and at the same time with their: “Yes Lord, of course, Lord, certainly Lord”, are not actually doing anything for the Father. Because they don’t love him. It does not fulfill, nor does it try to fulfill his will. It is enough for them that they feel they are perfect sons, and they don’t really care about the Father, his will. They are enough on their own. Without the Father behind whom they hide and in whose name they manipulate others.
The second son is different. Honest and straightforward. He admits “that he doesn’t want to”, but then, precisely because he cares about the Father, he regrets his refusal and goes to work in the Lord’s vineyard (which includes the whole world in the New Testament mode). The first sets himself up as a loving son, but his love is without deeds – dead; the other does not play games and gives way to his mood, and dislike, but because he loves the Father, he fulfills his wishes – out of love, not obligation. (The address of the sender is also worth noting. Jesus is talking about the Father – the first son, who at first refuses, persists in addressing the Father, while the second, insincere, says sir. This puts him in the position of a slave and not a son. Outwardly, he behaves submissively, in reality, he denies the authority of his master, not his father.)
Until then, the message of today’s gospel could be concluded with Christ’s statement: “Not everyone who calls me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of God…” Although it was not heard today, it nevertheless describes the example from today’s gospel well.
The son who says “Yes Lord” but does not go to work in his father’s vineyard is a picture of the Pharisees of his time, who had a mouth full of Law and commandments, but did not act according to God’s will. Even today we find more of these contemporary Pharisees around us, those who resemble the first son who says the cheap thing: “Yes, Lord…” People are satisfied with themselves, who are already so perfect in their own eyes that they don’t need anything anymore to improve anything. Then there are the others, similar to the second son. Those who are able (and especially willing) to go into themselves, to realize their debt to God, to their life, and to their neighbors. They don’t want to. They don’t want to (and who would want to) – dig into their conscience, strive for change in their lives, get involved, fight with themselves…
Such an attitude is called CONVERSION, and it belongs to the most difficult and at the same time the most important attitude in the life of a Christian. Conversion = recognition of one’s weakness, sinfulness, comfort, inconsistency, arrogance, etc., etc. – and the resulting changes: work on oneself, on one’s relationship with God and the environment. It’s not just about admitting our misery, we can still do that, but drawing consequences of our weakness, laziness, and superficiality! Go to the field and work! Change that initial NO to YES. Jesus does not distinguish between those who say: “Yes, Lord” and those who admit: “I don’t want to”, but rather divide people into those who arrogantly think falsely about themselves (“I have already done enough for others, I have no sins, I have nothing to confess…”) and on those who think about themselves truthfully (God, forgive me, a sinner) and what is essential, he draws consequences of it.
It does not care what one is or what one’s position is. Whether someone is a priest or a day laborer; whether he wears a miter or a crumpled cap on his head. He doesn’t care what the rest of us do. In fact, he favors the “ordinary” ones, the ones most despise: “The tax collectors and harlots will precede you into the kingdom of God.” This gives this parable a deeper meaning. After all, who were those customs officers and harlots? Public sinners. Contempt. Condemned. Those on the fringes of “decent” society. And yet. It is they who will overtake the “righteous” – because righteous in their own eyes, into the kingdom of God. It’s them – because they don’t play for anything. That they do not lie to the Father, others, or themselves. Because they allow the Father to come into their lives and transform them. Because they are willing to go to his vineyard and work. Work primarily on yourself. On his relationship to the Father. This is exactly the reversal, the conversion,
NO to the Father who wants to say his YES to every one. Even the last one. Even the most sinful. None of us are written off by God, and also, none of us are without sin. But in contrast to those who rely on their inflated perfections, we know (and maybe encouraged by this) that publicans and harlots will precede them into the kingdom of God. It is simply about being honest and truthful with yourself and God. He overcomes himself and goes to work in the Father’s vineyard. When we go out to the Father, the Father also goes out to meet us.
