By Fr. Ed Liptak
This 26th Sunday ’A’ our Church strives again to bring us face to face with the generosity and mercy of God. Last weekend it was those who worked a single hour getting the same reward as those who labored a full day. That is, each laborer made it into the Kingdom of Heaven. To many, that may not have seemed fair.
This weekend we are confronted by a similar situation. Ezekiel speaking for God said, “You say the LORD’S way is not fair!” Through the prophet God insisted that He was fair, that if virtuous persons turned away from virtue to commit iniquity, they did lose their worthiness and would die in sin. To which our Church says, “The word of the Lord.” And we ought to say, “So be it!” It is not wise to argue with God.
The Psalm offers another reason, reminding us to wish that same mercy upon ourselves if ever from sin we turn back to God: “In your kindness remember me because of your goodness, O LORD.” God is always fair.
The Gospel parable centers about ‘Yes-Sayers’ to God, as we would hope to be, but also, on those who live in sin, ‘NO-Sayers’ before God. Perhaps we, who had been seeking to obey Him, despite God’s warning us to do what was right, chose mortal sin instead. Were we still pleasing to God, worthy of the Kingdom? Even enemies of Jesus had to admit that the sinful one who turned his NO to YES, no matter when, was the one pleasing to God. He did God’s Will.
Jesus fearlessly told ‘the chief priests and the elders of the people’ that great sinners, including ‘No-Sayers’ who turned to him as did ‘tax collectors and prostitutes,’ believed in him and his message of repentance, and left off their evil ways, “[They] are entering the kingdom of God before you.” The priests and the elders refused to believe in him or the message of John the Baptist (and Jesus’ own) to repent and be saved.
With Jesus, again our Church begs us, “Repent! Believe in the Gospel! Be saved!” Never grow tired of living righteously and the Kingdom of Heaven is yours.