The Humble Path

10-01-2023Weekly ReflectionDr. Scott Hahn

Echoing the complaint heard in last week's readings, today's first reading again presents protests that God isn't fair. Why does He punish with death one who begins in virtue but falls into iniquity, while granting life to the wicked one who turns from sin? This is the question that Jesus takes up in the parable in today's Gospel.

The first son represents the most heinous sinners of Jesus' day - tax collectors and prostitutes - who by their sin at first refuse to serve in the Lord's vineyard, the kingdom. At the preaching of John the Baptist, they repented and did what is right and just. The second son represents Israel's leaders - who said they would serve God in the vineyard, but refused to believe John when he told them they must produce good fruits as evidence of their repentance (see Matthew 3:8).

Once again, this week's readings invite us to ponder the unfathomable ways of God's justice and mercy. He teaches His ways only to the humble, as we sing in today's Psalm. And in the Epistle today, Paul presents Jesus as the model of that humility by which we come to know life's true path.

Paul sings a beautiful hymn to the Incarnation. Unlike Adam, the first man, who in his pride grasped at being God, the New Adam, Jesus, humbled himself to become a slave, obedient even unto death on the cross (see Romans 5:14). In this He has shown sinners - each one of us - the way back to the Father. We can only come to God, to serve in His vineyard, the Church, by having that same attitude as Christ. This is what Israel's leaders lacked. In their vainglory, they presumed their superiority - that they had no further need to hear God's Word or God's servants.

But this is the way to death, as God tells Ezekiel today. We are always to be emptying ourselves, seeking forgiveness for our sins and frailties, confessing on bended knee that He is Lord, to the glory of the Father.

Comentario al Evangelio del Domingo

Jesús conoce bien el corazón humano, y se hace cargo de las dificultades y con-flictos con los que hemos de enfrentarnos cada día, tanto en la propia interioridad — la tensión por vencer la pereza o la desgana — como en el ámbito familiar, profesional o entre amigos el estar más atentos a qué hacen los demás que a ocu-parnos de hacer bien lo nuestro, aunque otros no lo hagan.

Como observa el Papa Francisco mencionando entre otras esta escena, Jesús “conoce las ansias y las tensiones de las familias incorporándolas en sus parábolas: desde los hijos que dejan sus casas para intentar alguna aventura (cf. Lc 15, 11-32) hasta los hijos difíciles con comportamientos inexplicables (cf. Mt 21, 28-31) o víctimas de la violencia (cf. Mc 12, 1-9)”[2]. Dios se hace cargo de nuestras dificultades, pero aguarda con paciencia nuestra rectificación y nuestra respuesta generosa como la del hijo rebelde.

La conclusión de la parábola tiene palabras fuertes: “en verdad os digo que los publicanos y las meretrices van a estar por delante de vosotros en el Reino de Dios” (v. 31). Esto es, los que sufren a causa de sus pecados y tienen deseo de un corazón puro, están más cerca del Reino de Dios que muchos que se llaman cristianos pero que son indolentes. Piensan que ya hacen suficiente, y no dejan que el arre-pentimiento de sus culpas ni el amor de Dios toque sus corazones.