Reading 2
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,
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.
Gospel
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."
Reflection
When Jesus tells the chief priests and elders the parable of the two sons in today's Gospel, we expect Him to liken them to the second son, who answers "Yes, sir," but never goes to the vineyard. The resemblance is real: like that son, they profess devotion to God but do not do His will.
Yet the Lord makes a subtler point. "When John came to you in the way of righteousness," He tells them, "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." Moments earlier, these same leaders had named the first son, who refused at first but "afterwards changed his mind and went," as the one who did his father's will. Now Christ holds that son up as the standard they failed to meet. Known sinners had turned back to God at John's preaching. The religious leaders watched it happen and still would not reconsider. The fault Jesus exposes is not only hypocrisy, but pride.
This vice is not reserved for the characters of the Gospel. The Church names pride first among the capital sins, and we all succumb to it. Christ’s words and example in today’s readings remind us that the opposite virtue of humility is essential for the Christian life. Humility allows us to admit our sins and seek forgiveness, and to be guided by those wiser than we are, above all by God Himself. Importantly, humility is what allows us to imitate Christ.
In Christ we see humility perfected. Though He was in the form of God, He "did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave… He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." The eternal Son, to Whom all authority belongs, won our salvation through an act of loving obedience.
Letting go of our own will can be painful. Our insistence on being right, even when we are not, often wounds our closest relationships. This week, let us pray with today’s readings and ask for the grace to empty ourselves as Christ did. With His help, we can die to our pride and become like the first son, who overcame his initial resistance and did his father's will.
Please be assured of my prayers for you before Our Lord, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
+ Bishop Schlert
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