CHANGE OF HEART AND MIND
Many
teenagers struggle with their parents’ instructions and demands. At a
time in their life when they seek maturity and their own identity, a
parent can often be their frustration and ongoing enemy. Parents only
want to offer advice in love. They were once teenagers, too, and feel it
is in their children’s best interest to help them out. But many teenagers desire to hold firm to their opinion and this results in anger, misunderstanding and miscommunication.
The parable of Jesus today reminds me of the relationship between
parents and teenagers. The parent in the parable is asking for
assistance in the vineyard, and the son, a teenager, doesn’t want to
help out initially but obliges later on. The teenager at first will reject the advice of the parent, but after thoughtful consideration may change his mind and heart, as we see in the first person mentioned in the parable today. Jesus explains to the Pharisees that many are coming into the
Kingdom; albeit they are sinners, excluded from the synagogue worship, they eventually have a change of mind and heart.
We all have a tendency to initially react negatively to advice,
correction or requests because they infringe on our freedom and decision
to act. We want to be in control, so we do not like it when one comes
asking for assistance that will take our time, energy and effort.
At first the sinners and the unwelcomed guests were reveling in their own
ways following their own will. At the sight of Jesus’ concern and love,
they have a change of heart and mind. And this is what Jesus celebrates
in His parable — transformation, conversion, a reversal of lifestyle.
The stubbornness of the Pharisees is proven, Jesus observes, that even
after witnessing this change of heart and mind, they are not willing to
change themselves. The call of the Lord is demanding. A part of us
stubbornly resists change. We become too comfortable in our sin. The
Gospel reminds us to
change our ways for the sake of the Kingdom. Fr. Brian Steele, MGL
REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you delight in the will of God or your own will?
Lord of love, make me walk in the way of Your truth. Amen.
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