No ‘Evil YES’ can never ever defeat ‘Good NO’
Matthew 21:28-32,
Ezekiel 18:25-28,
Philippians 2:1-11.
Reflection
Dear sisters and brothers,
Today, let us listen to the text from the Gospel of Matthew for our reflection (Matthew 21:28-32):
“Jesus said to the chief priests and 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.’
He said in reply, ‘I will not,’
but afterwards changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, ‘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 you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him.””
I would like to reflect with you the above text, on how the person, who is called by God, changes his/her stand in the Kingdom of God to be a part or not to be a part according to his/her convenience and comfort of his/her own life.
God invites everyone to be part of the Kingdom of God.
There is no partiality.
There is no discrimination.
There is no bias.
There is no racism.
There is no caste and creed.
God is our heavenly Father.
He calls each and everyone to be a part in building the Kingdom of God.
He treats everyone as his own daughter or son.
In the text, we are presented with a father and his two sons.
The story revolves around them.
The first son said, ‘no’, but later changed his mind.
He not only changed his mind, but also participated in the work of the Kingdom of God by being part of it wholeheartedly.
The second replied his father with a ‘yes’, but never went to work in the Kingdom of God.
He rejected the call from God.
He did not want to be a part in the Kingdom of God.
In addition, he enjoyed the privilege of being one of the sons.
Jesus used these two sons to convey the message of God to the people of Israel.
This message that is given by Jesus, is for all.
The chief priests and elders of the people reject the call from God to be part of the Kingdom of God like the first son.
At the same time, the chief priests and elders of the people accept the invitation like the second son but they decide not to be part of the Kingdom of God.
Now, we have a doubt, what makes the chief priests and elders of the people to say ‘No’ for the first time and to say ‘Yes’ for the second time.
Look at the text:
“He came to the first and said,
‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’
He said in reply, ‘I will not,’
but afterwards changed his mind and went.”
The first son said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but changed his mind.
The significant sentence is: ‘He changed his mind.’
Who did change the mind in real life?
Did the chief priests and elders of the people change their minds?
Or
Did the tax collectors and prostitutes change their minds?
We know it distinctively that it is the tax collectors and prostitutes, who changed their minds and believed in the repentance message of John and in the loving message of Jesus.
Here, I would like to mention that the tax collectors and prostitutes too replied, ‘no’ like the first son, but afterwards they changed their minds to turn to God and became a part in the Kingdom of God.
Moreover, the text intelligibly states that the second son represents the chief priests and elders of the people.
You may ask me why do I say so…?
I do not say this.
Jesus himself said in the text.
The chief priests and elders of the people did not believe in John, the precursor of Jesus.
They did not even have faith in Jesus, the Messiah himself, when he came among them and dwelt among them.
Why did the chief priests and elders of the people not believe in John and in Jesus, but still accepted God’s invitation to be part of the Kingdom of God by saying ‘Yes’?
When I reflect on this, I feel deeply in my heart that the second son is a pleasing character like many of us in the world.
The second son did not want to commit himself to be a part in the Kingdom of God doing the works of the Spirit in his life.
He took for granted that his father anyway loves him being the youngest.
He failed to contribute in his father’s work.
Yes,
The chief priests and elders of the people took for granted that they represented God himself and so anyway He would love them.
They failed in their lives to experience God, who loves the repented sinner unconditionally, immeasurably, and unlimited.
The chief priests and elders of the people believed in the old way that the messiah would come on the horse to redeem them from the slavery of foreign rulers.
With this background how would they believe in Jesus who was simple and humble in His approach without the title of a king and kingly attire?
They failed to see Jesus, the Messiah, who came on a donkey with the message of God’s peace, the peace that the world could not give to them.
They failed to have faith in Jesus, who was sent by God.
Nevertheless, the tax collectors and prostitutes recognised Jesus as a compassionate and merciful prophet, and as a loving and forgiving Messiah.
For the tax collectors and prostitutes, Jesus became a loving king, who accepted them with their own brokenness and weaknesses.
The tax collectors and prostitutes changed their minds and hearts from their prejudices and accepted God’s peace in their lives.
Secondly, the chief priests and elders of the people behaved as if they know everything about God like the second son.
Why do I say like the second son?
The second son believed that he knew everything about his father.
He might have thought that he could later manage his father even though his ‘yes’ did not bear fruit in action.
He said a lie knowingly to his father.
He cheated his father.
Later, he might tell a story to justify why he could not go for work.
We read in the text that there was no a change of heart in him.
The second son was fully filled with deceit and cunningness.
In the same way, the chief priests and elders of the people thought that they could please God with their offerings, rituals, and religiosity.
They failed to recognise God, who loves the repent sinner.
They failed to recognise God, who hates holocaust and sacrifices of material things.
They preached the message of God, but failed in imitating the message in their lives.
John brought all sinners the message of repentance.
He not only preached but his life too was aligned with his message.
Jesus was with all sinners.
He forgave and healed them.
He made all who repented for their sins to be part of the Kingdom of God.
He gave them eternal life.
He not only preached the Gospel but also sacrificed his life on the cross to reconcile the fallen with God.
John and Jesus, do not show an all-knowing attitude.
In other words, they did God’s will in their lives according to their purpose.
John and Jesus, are small time entertainers for the chief priests and elders of the people.
The small time entertainers, made a huge difference in the lives of those suffering, poor, needy, outcaste, marginalised, downtrodden, women, children, sinners, and gentiles.
Thirdly, the chief priests and elders of the people upheld that they are righteous in their lives.
The second son believed that he was righteous and so he said ‘yes’, but later did not go to work.
The righteousness of the chief priests and elders of the people, was questioned by John and Jesus in their public lives.
The chief priests and elders of the people were proud that they were very much righteous just by doing the rituals alone.
They never bothered about the suffering humanity which was in front of their eyes.
They never lifted up any sinners.
They always cursed them saying that suffering is from God (Ezekiel 18:25-26):
“Thus says the LORD:
You say, “The LORD’s way is not fair!”
Hear now, house of Israel:
Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?
When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies,
it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.”
God was blamed for human suffering.
The chief priests and elders of the people did not take blame on themselves.
They could have reached out to the suffering humanity with love and forgiveness.
They utterly failed in serving the humanity.
They failed in their duty.
They failed in their purpose, which they were created for.
On the other hand, we see John and Jesus, who were not so keen on rituals, and religiosity rather believed in reaching out to them in love and forgiveness.
They believed (Ezekiel 18:27-28):
“If he turns from the wickedness he has committed,
he does what is right and just,
he shall preserve his life;
since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.”
John and Jesus believed in turning away from the wickedness.
They believed in commitment.
They believed in doing what is right and just.
They believed in preserving our lives rather than cursing it.
They believed in returning from all the sins.
They believed in life.
The second son did the same.
He turned away from his wickedness.
He changed his mind.
He committed himself for life, for the works of the Kingdom of God.
Jesus reached out to the suffering, poor, needy, outcast, downtrodden, and marginalised people in love and forgiveness.
John and Jesus were with this guilt-stricken humanity.
Thus the suffering, poor, needy, outcaste, marginalised, downtrodden people, saw a ray of hope, a deep love and a touching heart in John and Jesus.
John and Jesus changed the lives of these people from sin to the way of God.
Yes, they all turned back from their sinful way to commit themselves to God’s way after listening to John and Jesus.
These are the first sons and daughters, who changed their hearts and minds and felt at home with John and Jesus and with their preaching.
The chief priests and elders of the people were not at home with John and Jesus, not even with their fellow humans.
This is the reason, why Jesus answered the chief priests and elders of the people, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Luke 5:31).
Were the chief priests and elders of the people healthy?
No.
The chief priests and elders of the people were not healthy.
They were rotten in their heart and mind.
They spoke negativity.
They thought oppression.
In contrast to the chief priests and elders of the people, Jesus gave hope and love.
Jesus thought liberation and salvation.
Jesus taught the uplighting message.
Jesus promises God’s love and forgiveness.
What about us?
Where are we?
Do we belong to the chief priests and elders of the people?
Or
Do we belong to the suffering, guilt-stricken, downtrodden, outcast, needy, poor and marginalised people?
Or
Do we represent the chief priests and elders of the people in our lives?
Or
Do we represent the suffering, guilt-stricken, downtrodden, outcast, needy, poor and marginalised people in our lives?
The choice is ours as Saint Paul writes meaningfully (Philippians 2:1-5):
“Brothers and sisters:
If there is any encouragement in Christ,
any solace in love,
any participation in the Spirit,
any compassion and mercy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one thing.
Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests,
but also for those of others.
Have in you the same attitude
that is also in Christ Jesus.”
Dear sisters and brothers,
Saint Paul calls us to be any encouragement, to be any solace in love, to be any participation in the Spirit, to be any compassion and mercy.
It is our joy being of the same mind of Jesus, with the same love of Jesus, united in Jesus’ heart, thinking one thing, to bring all to be a part in the Kingdom of God.
Once, we become a part in the Kingdom of God, we do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory.
We do everything humbly keeping in mind that the others are more important than ourselves.
We observe the same attitude in the life of Jesus too as Saint Paul further writes (Philippians 2:6-11):
“Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”
Our choice is not an easy choice.
Sometimes, we have a choice to be like the first son.
Sometimes, we have a choice to be like the second son.
What is more important in life as the follower of Christ Jesus?
In life it is important to realise that we are weak at certain times, we are broken at other times.
We need change of heart and mind.
If the change of heart and mind happens in our lives, we become more humble and accommodating towards the other, who too are broken and weak in their lives.
The world needs more of true followers of Christ Jesus as we are facing Covid-19, the pandemic.
We are uncertain about what is waiting for us in future.
Will we manage our lives?
Is my job secure?
Will my financial situation improve?
What is the future for my children?
There are many more questions than answers.
When we step out of our comfort zone to reach out to others like Jesus, we may experience a path of suffering and pain.
But, God promises us that He is with us as He was with the suffering, outcast, downtrodden, sinners, marginalised, women, children, and gentiles.
God’s promises are true promises.
It is not a false promise like that of the politicians, who rule over us with their authority doing nothing for the suffering humanity, but aiming at votes alone.
It is not even an empty promise like the second son.
It is not a broken promise like that of our relationship sometimes.
It is God’s promise.
God’s promises are true.
God’s promises are encouragement.
God’s promises are compassion and mercy.
God’s promises are a solace.
God’s promises are full of love.
God’s promises are joy.
God’s promises are participation in spirit.
God’s promise is a new heart.
God’s promise is prosperity.
God’s promise is Healing.
God’s promise is Peace.
God’s promise helps us to overcome temptation.
God’s promise is Courage.
God’s promise is Glory.
The suffering, the outcast, the downtrodden, the sinners, the marginalised, the women, the children, and the gentiles had the privilege to be a part in the Kingdom of God when they changed their minds and hearts from sins to commitment to God’s promise.
Today, our God promises each one of us that nothing can deter us when we accept ourselves to be a part of the Kingdom of God with our open minds and changed hearts.
As it is said in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 5:37):
“All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’;
anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
Therefore, our answer to God’s call or invitation to be a part in the Kingdom of God, must be: Always “YES” with an open mind and a changed heart.
My conclusion line is: No ‘Evil YES’ can never ever defeat ‘Good NO’.
May the Heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all. Amen…
