Breaking the Word

3^rd Week of Advent, Tuesday – 14^th December 2021 — Gospel:  Mt 21,28-32

Second Chance

The parable of the two sons is exclusive to Matthew and is addressed to the religious leaders and public sinners. The first son is a public sinner, who refused his father’s request. When asked to go out and work in the vineyard he answered, “I will not.” Although he said ‘No’ to God, repents, performs the Father’s will and enters the kingdom. While his initial answer was probably displeasing to his father, he ended up doing what his father wanted. Whereas the religious authorities loudly say ‘yes’ to God but never do what he says, and hence they fail to enter. Both religious leaders and public sinners had John as a pointer of the way to Jesus and the kingdom. Yet, of these, while the sinners repented and believed, the religious leaders did not, even after seeing sinners repent. Nevertheless, we can take great comfort in Jesus’ meaning here: God will always give us a second chance. The reality is that we are all sinners. Despite our best intentions, we will sometimes tell God “No.” We do this not only by our actions but sometimes by our failure to act. His mercy is infinite; he will always give us another chance to turn back to him and to do his will.

3^rd week of Advent, Monday – 13^th December 2021 — Gospel: Mt 21,23-27

Negligence to Authority and Truth

The religious leaders opposed Jesus and rejected his divine authority, because they were more concerned with entrapping Jesus than to learn the truth. Their lack of openness is why Jesus did not directly answer their question. He basically asked them, “Are you willing to acknowledge the hand of God in John’s Baptism and in my ministries?” If they accepted John’s work as divine, they would be compelled to accept Jesus as the Messiah. They deliberately avoided the question because they were unwilling to face the truth. Since they have not opted for John the Baptist, they have not opted for Jesus the Messiah. Jesus is the truth incarnate, and so there can be no compromise with Jesus’ authority. To know and to understand this truth there should be openness. When we do not want to know or do not want to say, we carefully use “I do not know” as an evasive response. However, factual knowledge demands a truthful response.