A reflection on the readings of October 1, 2023 — the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. When available, the audio of this homily will be available here.
For three Sundays in a row, including today, we have had a different parable: the parable of the unforgiving debtor, the parable of the workers in the vineyard, and — this week — the parable of the two sons. Today, I would like to reflect on these three parables together. I am doing so because they offer life-changing perspectives on Christian living.
We need, however, a framework to reflect on these parables together. I would like to use today second reading from Philippians as the frame of reference to interpret Jesus’ parables. Paul says to the Philippians, “Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus…” (Phil 2:5). More specifically, I would like to focus on the word, “attitude.”
The Jesus Attitude
In Philippians 2:7-8 Paul points out the “Jesus attitudes.” Jesus emptied himself. Jesus humbled himself. Jesus became obedient unto death. The three parables call for the very attitudes that Paul says are also in Christ Jesus – self-emptying, humility, and obedience. In the parable of the unforgiving servant two weeks back, Jesus called his followers to an attitude of forgiveness. Forgiveness is not possible without a certain amount of self-emptying and humility. In the parable of the workers in the vineyard, Jesus challenged the righteous people to be open to his ministry, especially to those on the periphery. It was a call to an attitude of humility – an attitude that salvation is a gift from God rather than something they can earn. In today’s parable of the two sons the entire focus is on obedience.
The reason Paul says, “Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus,” is that because Jesus lived these three attitudes in his own ministry. Forgiveness, humility, and obedience are the hallmarks of Jesus’ relationship with his Father and the people. It took self-emptying to forgive his murderers. It took humility to be nailed to the cross even though he was the Son of God. It took obedience to submit himself to God’s plan of salvation. I began my first point by asking, “What do I mean by ‘Jesus attitude?’ Self-emptying, humility, obedience – this is the “Jesus attitude.”
Have Among Yourselves the Same Attitude
Now that we have become familiar with the Jesus attitude, we must return to our framework. He says, “Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus.” What is the attitude of Jesus that Paul suggests we must have in us? Paul says, “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.” Here are the key words – encouragement, solace in love, participation in the Spirit, compassion, mercy, joy, love, united in heart, thinking one thing. It calls for Christ-like self-emptying. It calls for Christ-like humility. It calls for Christ-like obedience.
Become Obedient
I would like to dedicate my third point to talking about Jesus’ obedience. The “self-emptying” of Jesus holds a clue to the obedience of Jesus. Scripture scholar tells us that the self-emptying of Jesus describes Jesus self-renunciation of his divine privilege. He emptied himself means that Jesus did this to himself. He temporarily suspended his status of equality with God. However, the obedience of Jesus throws a whole new light on Jesus self-emptying. That Jesus was obedient suggests that his self-emptying, his humility was not random but part of a plan. Jesus was obedient to someone and something – God and God’s plan of salvation.
Just like Jesus was obedient to God and God’s plan of salvation, Paul calls us to obedience. To what? For me, it is the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross stands for something. It stands for self-emptying. It stands for humility. It stands for forgiveness. It stands for reconciliation. The cross is the supreme example of “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.” The obedience to the Cross which is required of us is neither of the first son in today’s parable, who said yes but did not do his father will, nor the son who initially refused but finally accomplished his father’s will (Mt 21:28-32). The obedience required of us is the obedience of Jesus. He said yes to his Father and accomplished the Father’s will to perfection. We must be obedient to the Cross of Jesus Christ with Jesus-like obedience.
On the Eucharistic table, the self-emptying, the humility, and the obedience of Jesus are on full display in the bread and the wine. As Paul says, “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.”
This Eucharist is our moment to bend our knee and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
Image: “Cristo de la Vega, Toledo” (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) by leytol
Fr. Satish Joseph was ordained in India in 1994 and incardinated into the archdiocese of Cincinnati in 2008. He has a Masters in Communication and Doctorate in Theology from the University of Dayton. He is presently Pastor at Immaculate Conception and St. Helen parishes in Dayton, OH. He is also the founder Ite Missa Est ministries (www.itemissaest.org) and uses social media extensively for evangelization. He is also the founder of MercyPets (www.mercypets.org) — a charitable fund that invites pet-owners to donate a percent of their pet expenses to alleviate child hunger. MercyPets is active in four countries since its founding in December 2017. Apart from serving at the two parishes, he facilitates retreats, seminars and parish missions.
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