Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, với câu chuyện dụ ngôn, Đức Giêsu muốn dạy và nhắc nhở chúng ta là đừng xét đoán người khác nhưng hãy nên chấp nhận những thách thức và hãy tự thay đổi chính mình như Thánh Hồng Y John Henry Newman đã viết: "Cuộc sống là những thay đổi. Để cuộc sống được hoàn hảo hơn thì phải có thay đổi thường xuyên"
Một đoạn ngắn tương tự như thế đã được phản ánh ngay trong bài đọc thứ nhất hôm nay, trong đó tiên tri Xô-phô-nia đã tập trung vào Jerusalem và Giu-đa; thành phố tội lỗi đã nuôi dưỡng những kẻ đàn áp, gây ra những bất công, những chống đối nổi dậy và làm con người trở nên ô uế và tội lỗi. Họ cử hành nghi lễ tẩy uế, như là một sự cuộc thánh hoá, nhưng chỉ là cái vỏ bên ngoài, còn trong tâm hồn họ thì vẫn còn thù hận, ghen ghét baq61t tuân lời Chúavà không chịu sửa đổi lối sốn hư đốn của họ vì họ chẳng có niềm tin vào Thiên Chúa, Đấng đã hướng dẫn và dìu dắt họ. Ngược lại, những người đặt niềm tin vào Thiên Chúa là những người có sự khiêm tốn và nhu mì (Zeph 03:12 và 13), vì họ biết rằng niềm tự tin và sức mạnh của họ đã được bắt nguồn từ Thiên Chúa.
Xin Chúa hãy giúp chúng con để chúng con luôn biết tiếp tục tìm kiếm sự hiện diện của Thiên Chúa trong cuộc sống của chúng con bằng cách tự kiểm tra chính mình thường xuyên cũng như chúng con luôn biết đổi mới chính mình để đón nhận Chúa Giêsu vào tâm hồn của chúng con trong dịp mừng Chúa Giáng sinh. "Lạy Chúa, xin Chúa đến hướng dẫn và dìu dắt chúng con để chúng con biết sống trong cách mà Chúa hang luôn mong muốn."
During the Advent season, we are constantly challenged by the daily scripture readings. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus said that those who were despised, rejected and condemned by the religious leaders, though they had said ‘no’ to God, they were repenting, performing God's will and entering the Kingdom. On the other hand, the religious authorities has loudly said ‘yes’ to God but never did what God said, so they failed to enter.
Through this parable, Jesus is speaking to us - reminding us not to judge others but to accept this challenge and change ourselves. “To live is to change. To be perfect is to have changed often,” wrote John Henry Newman.
A similar message is reflected in the first reading wherein the prophet focussed on Jerusalem and Judah — the guilty city which harboured oppressors, rebels and defiled people. These people observed ritual cleaning as an external sanctity and appeared to be pure. They failed to obey God as they had no trust in God who had directed and guided them. On the contrary, it is the humble and meek (Zeph 3:12 and 13) who put their trust in God as they knew their confidence and strength were derived from God.
Let us continue to seek God’s presence in our lives by examining ourselves regularly as we renew ourselves to welcome Jesus into our hearts at Christmas. “Lord, lead us and guide us in Your way.”
Jesus addressed this question to the chief priests and elders of the people. As the passage continues, Jesus humbles them by saying, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God before you.” He explains that the chief priests and elders of the people were like the second son. They gave lip service to God’s commands but failed to humbly repent and obey.
The fact that “tax collectors and prostitutes” were entering the Kingdom of God should give us great hope. No one is beyond God’s mercy if they humbly listen to Him, repent, and begin to obey. Though neither son’s response is ideal, hopefully we are more like the first son.
When we hear God’s Word and understand His continuously deepening call to holiness, we will find it challenging. Often, our first reaction to a deeper revelation of the Gospel is “No!” Our sinful habits are hard to break, and our fallen human nature is difficult to align with God’s will. Don’t be surprised if you find God’s will initially challenging.
As God’s voice and His will become clearer, our first response must always be repentance. This should not surprise us. We must learn to build a habit of repentance if we want to grow closer to God and live His will. Initially, we often react to repentance in a negative way, but we shouldn’t. Though we might be like the first son and say “no” when God calls us to obedience, if we build a habit of repentance, then we will eventually find great joy in that act. Over time, we will find that our response becomes “Yes, I will go,” and then we go, having discovered the value in obedience.
Reflect today on whether you often pay lip service to God, pretending to do His will, or if you regularly experience God’s call to repentance on a deepening level. Identify yourself with the repentant tax collectors and prostitutes, and imitate their humility when they were confronted with their sins. Know that repentance is the beginning of freedom and is the first step toward greater unity with God.
My demanding Lord, every command You issue is a command of love. Though obedience to You is often initially challenging, help me to see the great value in it. Give me the courage and fidelity I need to hear Your voice, repent of my sin, and obey You in all things. Jesus, I trust in You.
1. The Second Son: In the Gospel, the chief priests tried to trap Jesus with a question about his authority to cleanse the Temple and teach in it. Jesus responded to their question with a question of his own about John the Baptist’s authority. The chief priests refused to answer Jesus’ question, since any acknowledgement that John had divine authority would mean that Jesus, whom John indicated as anointed by the Spirit of the Lord, is the royal Messiah sent by God and has divine authority. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus compares the chief priests to a son who says one thing but does another. Like the second son, the chief priests and elders say they will work in their father’s vineyard, but don’t. This is part of their hypocrisy. They were supposed to be working in the Lord’s vineyard and helping the people grow in holiness to prepare for the coming of the Lord. But they were failing miserably, as evidenced by the moneychangers in the Temple’s Court. They were more focused on money and commerce than prayer. Jesus cleansed the Temple the previous day and now sits in it to teach.
2. The First Son: The second son in the parable represents the hypocrisy of the religious authorities. By contrast, the first son represents the repentance of sinners. The people of Judah and Jerusalem heeded the call of John the Baptist. Having confessed their sins and been washed in the waters of the Jordan River, they set out to work in the Lord’s vineyard. Jesus points this out to the chief priests and elders. Public sinners – like tax collectors and prostitutes – believed in John the Baptist and took to heart his message of repentance. John’s Old Covenant baptism of water in the Jordan River prefigures our New Covenant Baptism of water and in the river of the Spirit. We enter the Kingdom of Heaven through our Baptism and are called to work in the Lord’s vineyard. We need to protect the vineyard from the assaults of the ancient serpent. We need to till the soil and clear out stones and brambles (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23). We need to water the vines (John 7:37-39), prune the branches (John 15:1-17), collect the harvest of grapes at the appropriate time, crush and ferment the grapes, and produce good wine. These are all symbols of our spiritual life and cultivating a life of grace and virtue. Am I imitating the hypocrisy of the chief priests or the repentance of the crowds this Advent? What are the most urgent and important tasks in the vineyard of my soul?
Encountering Christ:
1. The Way of Righteousness: St. John the Baptist came “in the way of righteousness” (Matthew 21:32). To become righteous means to submit to and cooperate with God’s plan for salvation. Jesus tried to point out to the chief priests and elders that John's preaching and baptism of repentance was part of God’s saving plan. Because they refused to listen to John, the chief priests and elders were not obedient to God’s holy will, and therefore not righteous. That is why Jesus told them that they would not enter the kingdom of heaven while sinners who repented would enter. These learned men would have known the Psalm: “those who hate the righteous are condemned” (Psalms 34:22).
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