26th Sunday in Ordinary time- Cycle A

Readings:

Ez 18:-25-28/Ps 25:4-5. 6-7. 8-9/ Phil 2:1-11/ Mt 21:28-32

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“Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future” says Oscar Wilde.  This saying speaks a lot about one’s personal responsibility in setting a direction for his or her life.  A person is always confronted whether he or she would like to dwell and curse his/her ugly past or set things straight as the future continues to unfold before his/her eyes. 

The house of Israel believes that everything in their past has something to do with what is happening to them in the present.  This is what we heard from the first reading taken from the book of the prophet Ezekiel.  When the house of the Israel starts complaining that the Lord’s way is unfair, it is because they believe that they should not be suffering or be held responsible for the sins of the past generations.  The house of Israel plays a blame a game and they extend it to God by accusing him of being unfair.  Yet, the Lord reminds them that he has always been fair to them by giving them the chance to correct their mistakes.  He gives them the chance to choose virtue over evil. The preceding verses show God as saying that a son will not die because of his father’s iniquity.  God in all his fairness does not count the offenses of the past.  He only wants his people to turn away from their wickedness and start living a just and holy life. This is more than what fairness can give.  In our world’s standard, we always consider what a person did in the past. An ex-convict has a hard time finding a job even if he is completely reformed because of his record.  

We see the same thing in the gospel of today.  Jesus addresses the parable of the two sons to the chief priests and elders of the people.  These are the people who regard themselves highly in front of the people. They condemn the tax collectors and prostitutes for they choose to live a life that is evil and sinful.  While they look at themselves as holy and righteous because they try to follow the letters of the law.  Jesus in telling the story of the two sons who have different responses, the one saying “yes” but did not go, and the other one who initially said “I will not” changed his mind and went instead, clearly delivers his message to the chief priests and elders of the people.  They certainly feel alluded to in this parable most especially when Jesus spoke of John.  They did not recognize the authority of John nor consider his message when they should have been the first ones because of their knowledge of the scriptures and the law. Yet, it is the sinners who lined up to be baptized in river Jordan to be cleansed. They, who have initially rejected God in their lives, have now expressed sorrow by recognizing that they need the mercy of God and so they go to John for baptism.

The good news in today’s readings is that we are shown that we have a lively possibility of turning our “no” into “yes”. For many of us who are sinners, the tax collectors and prostitutes in Jesus’ time taught us that we can always change and that God is always willing to take us up.  It is a challenge for all of us struggling to not ever give up.  We are challenged not to lose hope. The question for all of us is “where do we stand in regards to God’s invitation to change and to fulfill our God-given mission?”