Gospel – Matthew 21:28-32

He went out moved by regret. The tax collectors and prostitutes will precede you into the kingdom of God.

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people, ‘What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He went and said to the first, “My boy, you go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not go,” but afterwards thought better of it and went. The man then went and said the same thing to the second who answered, “Certainly, sir,” but did not go. Which of the two did the father’s will?’ ‘The first’ they said. Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you, a pattern of true righteousness, but you did not believe him, and yet the tax collectors and prostitutes did. Even after seeing that, you refused to think better of it and believe in him.’

Gospel Reflection

Three milestones in our journey of faith coalesce on Wednesday of this week: the final day of the Season of Creation 2023 with its call to “let justice and peace flow”; the release of Pope Francis’ new exhortation on integral ecology; and the opening in Rome of the Synod on Synodality. The plight of our planetary community impels us to ponder, in light of these separate but related events, the ways in which Earth cares for us.

Vineyards have provided nourishment in the ancient Mediterranean world since about 10,000 BCE. It is not surprising then that the biblical record frequently references vines and vineyards and that the vineyard becomes a metaphor for God’s “workplace”. In today’s gospel, Jesus tells the story of a father who sends his sons to work in the vineyard. One refuses and then reconsiders: he has the courage to change his mind. The second son agrees and then fails to do as his father requests: he is not prepared to make his contribution to family life and wellbeing. These siblings find their counterparts in every age. There are those who make an art form of saying yes and failing to follow through with action: such people can seriously undermine the best of projects or plans. And then there are the slow starters, those who take time but eventually come on board.

Jesus’ parable is a response to the Temple authorities who are angered by the “amazing things” he does and by the public recognition he receives. Like the second son, the chief priests and elders profess to do the will of God, but their actions belie their words. Jesus spells out the meaning of the parable as it relates to the disjunction between what they say and what they do. They have rejected the prophet John who came to them “in the way of righteousness”. The tax collectors and prostitutes, “sinners” from the perspective of the authorities, accepted John’s message, albeit belatedly like the first son, and are making their way into God’s empire ahead of the guardians of the religious institutions.

Changing one’s mind is seen as a sign of weakness in our society. For evidence of this, one has only to listen to the taunts when a political leader changes course. Changing one’s mind or one’s course of action can be an act of great courage and humility, even heroism. This is particularly so if it involves abandoning a self-serving direction for the sake of justice or compassion for the common good. Voluntary changes in behaviour come from a change of heart, from what the gospel calls “metanoia”. There is always a cost in the pursuit of justice, including the cost to those who challenge the refusal to act on the climate crisis. Today’s parable invites us to bring our actions into line with what we profess, no matter the cost. That is what it means to accept today’s invitation to work in the vineyard, God’s workplace.

Sr Veronica Lawson rsm