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. Matthew 21:28–29
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This Gospel passage above is
the first part of a two-part story. The first son says he will not go
work in the vineyard but changes his mind and goes. The second son says
he will go but does not go. Which son are you most like?
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Of course, the ideal would be
to have said “Yes” to the father and then actually have followed
through. But Jesus tells this story to contrast the “prostitutes and tax
collectors” with the “chief priests and elders.” Many of these
religious leaders of the time were good at saying the right thing, but
they failed to act in accord with the will of God. By contrast, the
sinners of the age were not always ready to agree at first, but many of
them eventually listened to the message of repentance and changed their
ways.
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So, again, which group are you
most like? It’s humbling to admit that we often struggle, especially at
first, with embracing all that God asks of us. His commands are radical
and require a tremendous amount of integrity and goodness to embrace.
For that reason, there are many things we at first refuse to embrace.
For example, the act of forgiving another is not always immediately
easy. Or making the immediate commitment to daily prayer can be
challenging. Or choosing any form of virtue over vice may not come to us
without difficulty.
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One message of incredible
mercy that our Lord reveals to us through this passage is that, as long
as we live, it’s never too late to change. Deep down we all know what
God wants of us. The problem is that we often allow our confused
reasoning or disordered passions to hinder our absolute, immediate and
wholehearted response to the will of God. But if we can keep in mind
that even the “prostitutes and tax collectors” eventually came around,
we will be encouraged to eventually change our ways.
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Reflect, today, upon that part
of the will of God that is most difficult for you to immediately and
wholeheartedly embrace and do. What do you find yourself saying “No” to,
at least at first. Resolve to build an interior habit of saying “Yes”
to our Lord and following through with His will in every way.
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Precious Lord, give me the
grace I need to respond to every prompting of grace in my life. Help me
to say “Yes” to You and to follow through with my actions. As I see more
clearly the ways I have refused Your grace, give me courage and
strength to change so as to more fully conform to Your perfect plan for
my life. Jesus, I trust in You. | |
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