Gospel: Matthew 21:28-32

1st Reading: Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13

The people’s future conversion: the humble shall seek refuge in the Lord.

Ah, soiled, defiled, oppressing city! It has listened to no voice; it has accepted no correction. It has not trusted in the Lord; it has not drawn near to its God. At that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord.

From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, my scattered ones, shall bring my offering. On that day you shall not be put to shame because of all the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain.

For I will leave in the midst of you a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord — the remnant of Israel; they shall do no wrong and utter no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths. Then they will pasture and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.

Gospel: Matthew 21:28-32

Parable about two sons: one refuses but obeys; one agrees but disobeys.

Jesus said to them, “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

Respecting non-conformists

The prophet delves beneath externals to the deeper level of human existence, where we exist simply as God’s creatures. Every person begins in the womb of his mother simply as made in God’s image. Flesh and blood we share with everyone else whether the other be religious or not. The common sense and common decency of human nature deserve respect. Our human dignity is that of “a people humble and lowly,” and our very smallness and humility attract God’s tender compassion. He sees great potential in this lowly remnant: “They shall do no wrong and speak no lies; Nor shall there be found in their mouths a deceitful tongue.”

Jesus made it a core part of his ministry to reconcile and respect tax collectors and prostitutes, shameful people in the estimation of institutional religion at that time. To do so, he gave a simple example of a man with two sons. The first son was outwardly pious and always said and did the right thing, or at least gave that impression! The comparison with religious and civil authorities was too clear to need further elaboration. The other son was headstrong, disobedient, saucy, self-willed; he always replied first with a quick “No!” before he had time to think. He was like the tax collectors and the prostitutes whose lives were disorderly. And yet many of them repented and humbly listened to John the Baptist. John addressed them as people whose shame could be lifted and whose dignity could be revived.

What of ourselves? Do we help people keep their dignity or do we prefer reminding them of their oddities and faults? The infant Christ recalls our basic humanity as created by God. This simple fact requires of his followers that we give each person a chance to be truly who he or she is, respecting them as God’s image as truly as we ourselves are. Respecting the dignity of others will not wlways be easy. We might suffer the same slur as did Jesus, for being “a friend of tax collectors and prostitutes.” Jesus took that slur in his stride, but he suffered for it. We too could be blamed for allowing people a second chance, letting them be our friends, with every right to “call upon the name of the Lord.”

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People who keep their word

We value people who keep their word to us. We appreciate those who are true to the promises that they make to us. The Lord also appreciates our efforts to be true to the promises we make to him. In the parable Jesus speaks in the gospel today, one of the sons of the father did not keep the promise he made to him. He promised to work in the vineyard but did not. He was not a man of his word. The other son went in the opposite direction; he initially said no but then thought better of it and did what was asked of him. We probably appreciate that quality in people too, the capacity to reflect on an initial decision and to have a change of mind, a change of heart, for the better. The Lord appreciates that same quality in us, the openness to a change of mind and heart for the better. When the Lord calls and we say no, he does not take that initial refusal as definitive, but is ready to wait on our change of mind and heart. The Lord gives us time to think better of our initial response to him. Having moved from a no to a yes, he looks to us to be faithful to our yes. He looks to us to keep our word, to allow our promise to him to shape what we do, how we live.