First Reading: EZEKIAL 18:25-28, Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? **When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. **But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed, and does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life. Since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
**I’m reminded about another scripture, “My ways are not your ways”. We human beings often times equate fairness with justice. This is how we would run the world, right? **But then God, in His Mercy, is ‘constantly’ offering to us, “the created”, an olive branch of love & forgiveness.
I Have Sinned, in my thoughts, in my words, what I have done, and what I have failed to do. If God operated on the position of fairness, there is no way that I can get into Heaven. God is all about compassion, justice, and love. So, I might still have a chance.
This scripture also screams out the word ‘choice’. Choosing to sin -vs- choosing God. Our world is a broken place, aggravating a lot of the time. Human aggravation is Satan’s playground. This is why we need inner peace, we need the Holy Spirit.
Second Reading: Phillipians 2:1-5, Brothers and sisters: 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 only for those of others. **Have in you the same attitude, that is also in Christ Jesus.
**St. Paul is deeply influenced by the Torah, especially the prophets who foretold of the suffering servant. So, with this in the back of his mind, he also would be able to teach about Jesus Christ’s mission with clarity and authority. **This message goes well beyond the “Golden Rule” of ‘do unto others’. Jesus & now Paul, are saying treat others ‘better’ than yourselves. This idea completely wipes out any thoughts of selfishness.
GOSPEL: MATT. 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 uses this exchange as an obvious example of doing God’s Will. John the Baptist was sent as the ‘town-crier’, ahead of Jesus, to help change the minds & hearts of a very stiff-necked people. Some listened. The general public who were yearning for the day of the messiah, and sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes and etc.!
The prominent religious leaders couldn’t care less. OH, Sure, John brought some un-necessary attention upon himself. But these leaders just considered him a madman, a nuisance. Once John was arrested, they all had a sigh of relief. That is until Jesus showed up.
Jesus, at this point is taking the gloves off. The leaders were supposed to be righteous but sinned by making the following of Judaism a burden for the people. They said yes, then didn’t go!
The people, on the other hand, were sinners, not perfect, not even close. The difference: the regular people ‘knew’ that they still needed God. The folks needed God to be a loving, compassionate Father to them, again. Their lives were dirtied up, but still they said ‘YES’ to God. They said yes to Jesus. ***JOY-JOY-JOY, Thank you for your time today. Bro. BLU,,, aka: Mark Gates.
Brother BLU is a servant of God. He currently lives with his wife in Peosta, Iowa, and is retired. He was a blue-collar meat industry laborer for fifty years. He has spent his whole life as a God-fearing Christian, Mass lector, and cradle Catholic. BLU had begun feeling anxious about wanting to be one of God’s more positive influences on lives beyond his immediate family. He yearned to be more of a positive, solid example, the way that teachers or camp counselors can be.
It’s 1996. After a Charismatic Seminar at a neighboring parish, his spirituality “exploded.” **The Holy Spirit has since rocked his world. She has blessed him with personal revelations (Dreams) and events (Visions) in times of needed admonishment, teaching, or encouragement. Having a personal belief and true affection for the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and a very sweet, tender, and intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit, BLU believes that the world is in dire need of ‘good news’. He wants his spirituality to create conversations and prays that these musings will start meaningful conversations in your own lives.
