Matthew 21:28-32, 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Two sons were asked, “Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.” The first son said “I will not,” but changed his mind and went. The second son said, “Yes, sir!” but did not go.

Today’s Gospel reminds us that our starting point matters less –

what is more important is where we wind up – where we end up!

         Dear Christians:

         This is My command to you – in fact, you might even call it a great command. You are to go to all people everywhere and call them to become My disciples. You are to baptize them and teach them to obey all that I have commanded you.

         Don’t forget. I will be with you always to help you, even to the end of the world. I will never leave you nor forsake you because I love you. Please don’t forsake me.

         With all My love,

         Jesus Christ

         Dear Jesus Christ;

         We acknowledge the receipt of your recent letter. Your proposal is both interesting and challenging; however, due to time constraints, as well as several other financial and personal considerations, we do not feel that we can give proper emphasis to your challenge at this time.

         A committee has been appointed to study the feasibility of the plan. You may rest assured that we will give this our careful consideration, and we will be praying for you and your efforts to find additional disciples.

         We do appreciate Your offer to serve as a resource person, and should we decide to undertake this project at some point in the future, we’ll get back to you.

         Cordially,

         The Christians

Most people don’t want to know the will of God so they can do it; they seem to want to know it just in case they want to consider it and figure out how much it will cost them.

Oftentimes times we say we love Christ, but how much of our lifestyle reflects Christ? Often we say we want to serve a loving and forgiving God, but how much love and forgiveness do we put in our relationships? We desire to be generous but we keep a constant audit of the good things we have done, even seeking recognition for them.

What good is it to profess the faith and desire the good but will not live it in the footsteps of the one who showed us how to live the faith who is Jesus Christ? It is not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It is what we promise to do consistently. It is important, therefore, that our commitment match our work. Selfish and self-centered faith is dead.

Today’s Gospel reminds us that our starting point matters less – what is more important is where we wind up and end up! (just like the two sons.)

We make a lot of promises: Exercise every week; no more sugar and cholesterol in our diet;  no more gossip and unnecessary shopping for things that would just end up as junk in the corner of our homes; we promise to organize plenty of things yet to be done. But how many of these promises are acted upon consistently?  I guess the only completely consistent people in this world today are the dead.

If we cannot be faithful to our promises, we cannot be loyal to God. Only the person who is faithful to himself/herself can be faithful to others.

I used to tell people not to worry about being effective. Just concentrate on being faithful and you will be surprised by the effect.

Ordinary people who faithfully, diligently, and consistently do simple things right before God will bring extraordinary results.

A promise that isn’t delivered is dead. And please stop redefining promise as “meant to be broken” – because a promise from the very beginning is a sacred thing as God promised Abraham the land of Canaan and our deliverance from sin through his only beloved Son. A promise means “to send forth,” “to assure beforehand,” “a holy statement.” When God promised, he delivered. Scriptures have an abundance of stories about God promising and delivering.

What ideas, dreams, or good intentions have you left unattended because your decision wasn’t backed by action? A productive life is built on the things we do – not on the things we don’t do. Never forget that the only material that can be used in building a life, a home, a church, a country – is a yes to positive actions that are consistently and faithfully delivered. If our lives are far from the Words of God, then we cannot claim to be faithful…because faithful means loyal and steadfast…Tapat.

Our starting point matters less – what is more important is where we wind up and end up!

A twelve-year-old boy was a key witness in a crucial lawsuit. One of the lawyers had put the boy through a rigorous cross-examination. The lawyer was unable to shake the boy’s clear, damaging testimony. In a loud voice, the lawyer said, “Your father has been telling you how to testify, hasn’t he?” “Yes,” said the boy. “Now,” said the lawyer, “just tell us what your father told you to say.” “Well,” replied the boy, “Father told me that the lawyers may try to confuse me, but if I would just be careful and tell the truth, I could say the same thing every time.”

Think what a life – this life will be – if we all have – consistency of purpose and actions. We cannot be honest today and lying tomorrow if we mean to go out and work in the vineyard of our Lord. For to be faithful is to be consistent with our good actions. To say yes to Christ is to live out St. Ignatius’ prayer:

“Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous, teach me to serve you as I should. To give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds. To toil and not to seek for rest. To labor and ask not for reward. Save that of knowing that I do your most holy will.”

Friends, Jesus is asking us “My child, go out and work in the vineyard today.”

Will you go? Will you go consistently? And will you go with conviction or conditions?

 “We are not here to be successful, we are here to be faithful.” Mother Theresa of Calcutta left us these words.

Our good and faithful judge always prefers the honorable faithful to the expedient. (those attaining an end but considered improper and immoral.)

*image from the Internet