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Gospel: Matthew 21: 28-32
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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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When the English author G.K. Chesterton was asked, “What is wrong with the world?”
He replied, “Sir, I am.”
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Most of us would answer differently.
What’s wrong with the world?
Politicians. Corruption. Terrorism. Bad drivers. Torrential rain on the day of our parish golf outing!
Anything – and anyone – but me.
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So, why would Chesterton, a devout Christian, say he’s part of what’s wrong with the world?
He wasn’t taking personal responsibility for all of the world’s problems. But he was acknowledging that he’s played a role in it.
Like the first son in today’s Gospel, Chesterton admits to ignoring his conscience at times, to saying “no” to doing his Father’s will.
But he later repents.
That’s the essence of the Christian journey: We acknowledge our sins, we seek forgiveness, and we strive to be better.
For the last three weeks, the Gospel has focused on the theme of forgiveness – particularly our need to forgive others, just as God has forgiven us.
But today the focus shifts back on us; at times, we need to repent.
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Most of us would admit that we’re generic sinners. We often repeat the same sins over and over again. As the old saying goes, “Nobody’s perfect.”
But we shouldn’t take comfort in that old adage. Nobody wants to live in an imperfect world. Too often it leaves us bruised and broken. And sometimes God – not us – gets the blame.
As Christians we’re challenged to be the light of the world; the salt of the earth; to leave our sins behind; to love God with all of our heart and our neighbor as ourselves.
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Key to such spiritual growth is not only practicing virtue, but also naming our vice.
Maybe it’s pride; greed; envy; anger; laziness; or lust.
We must be honest with ourselves – and with one another – about what we struggle with in order to shine brightly, effecting real change within ourselves and beyond.
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Alcoholics understand this truth well.
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Whenever a person speaks at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, they must begin by stating their name and the reason why they’re there.
For example, “Hi, I’m Ted and I’m an alcoholic.”
“Hi, Ted!”
Only then will the others present listen.
That’s the type of rigorous honesty and accountability we should practice as Christians. “Hi, I’m Kevin and I’m an imperfect believer.”
“Hi, Kevin!”
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So, “What’s wrong with the world?”
At times, “I am.”
I can be like that first son in today’s Gospel who ignores his conscience and says “no” to doing his Father’s will, but later repents.
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What’s the alternative?
To see ourselves like the second son. To say “yes” to doing God’s will but failing to carry it out.
For example, Jesus teaches us to love our enemies; to turn the other cheek; to forgive without limits; to see Christ in every person.
These are some of the core tenets of our faith, and every Sunday we profess our willingness to put these beliefs into practice.
But how often does our faith fizzle out somewhere between Monday morning and Saturday night?
Maybe someone hurt us last week and, stubbornly, we refuse to forgive them. Maybe we turned on the news and found our blood boiling over politics.
Maybe we find ourselves constantly judging others with whom we disagree. Maybe we’ve purchased more than we need or have given less than we can.
Faith is a full-time commitment – and, at times, a very difficult one to keep. If we’re honest, it’s easy to say “yes” to Jesus, but much harder to follow him moment by moment.
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So, “What’s wrong with the world?”
At times, “I am.”
This week I’ll strive to be better.
How about you?
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Image credits: (1) Pete Santucci, God & Life & Stuff (2) Aaron McHugh (3) Side-by-Side Educational Consulting
