Obedience and Mercy

Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year A

Ezekiel 18:25-28; Psalm 25; Philippians 2:1-11; Matthew 21:28-32

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.
John 10:27

We have been treated to wonderful meditations in God’s mercy over the last couple of weeks.  Two weeks ago we heard our Lord call us to forgive seventy seven times, or in other words, to forgive endlessly.  Last week we were confronted with the possibility of the one who is forgiven and redeemed in the eleventh hour.  Today, we continue these meditations by looking at the obedient son.

Jesus gives an example of a man who had two sons.  To the first He says, “Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.”  The son refuses, but then has a change of heart and does so.  The second receives the same directive and says he will go, but doesn’t.  Who, our Lord asks, was obedient to the father?  The first, obviously.  Our Lord is having this conversation with some of the chief priests and elders.  At this point He says to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.”  The worst of sinners could get in while the religious leaders were left out.  This is good news for the sinner, but bad for the self-righteous.

What makes the difference between the two?  Not intellect, or education, wealth, talent, status, ability, or anything else.  One thing alone makes the difference: obedience!  Obedience is born out of faith.  Any attempt to divorce faith and obedience places one outside of the New Testament experience.  St. Paul speaks of “the obedience of faith” [Romans 1:5].  Both our first and second readings demonstrate it.  Ezekiel speaks of the one who is blessed because in the end he obeyed what God said.  St. Paul holds forth the example of our Lord Jesus Christ in His obedience to the Father “to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

But what makes the difference in our own practical experience?  Sure, we all know we’re supposed to obey the Lord and we also know that we don’t.  That’s why people keep coming back to Confession.  How do we come to the place where we are indeed the obedient people God is calling us to be?

First, I suggest that it begins by apprehending God’s mercy.  What did the tax collectors and prostitutes of Jesus’ day know that we don’t?  They knew the incomprehensible mercy of God.  In their day there was no hope for such as they were.  Jesus not only gave them hope, but forgiveness and an inheritance in the kingdom of God.  The offer is open to us.  Unfortunately, we don’t always perceive it.  Too often, we have the same approach as the religious leaders of Jesus’ day.  “We don’t need forgiveness.  We’ve done nothing wrong.”  I find it telling that when asked, people generally think of themselves as good and when pressed on the issue will often respond with something like, “Well, at least I’m not a murderer or something.”  We’ve placed the bar so low that it’s easy to appear good and feel good about oneself.  But God sees it differently.  He knows we are sinners and He offers forgiveness.  For the person who gains God’s perspective they are overwhelmed at the mercy they are shown.

Second, let me share with you the Gospel Antiphon for today’s Mass.  This is the verse that is said or sung before the proclamation of the Gospel.  Today it comes from John 10:27 and it says this: “My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.”  There’s a lot that’s packed into that one verse, but let me just point out a couple of things that pertain to this idea of apprehending God’s mercy.

How do we know if we are part of God’s flock?  Because we hear His voice.  I don’t mean we hear it audibly, although that could happen.  But in our spirit we can hear Him speaking as clearly as if it were audible.  It may be something that happens during the day, or something someone says.  But most often it’s what happens when we quiet our souls and meditate on sacred scripture.  We hear God speaking there.  When this happens, it’s a sign that you are one of His sheep.

So as His sheep we hear His voice.  Then the verse goes on to say that He know us.  Notice, it does not speak of us knowing Him, although that’s true.  But in this case it is He who knows us.  But doesn’t God know everyone?  Didn’t He create us all?  How could He not know someone?

Knowledge here is not the mere knowing of facts, but the knowing of relationship.  Even though God knows everything about us- even better than we do- He can’t know us in relationship unless we invite Him to do so.  What a tragedy- that God who made us in love would be kept from knowing us for a lifetime- and even for eternity.  When we take time to listen for the voice of God we are building a relationship.  Then God knows us and we know Him. 

Then we follow Him.  Because we can hear Him speak and we are in right relationship with Him we have the utmost confidence to follow Him, wherever He may lead.  This is where faith and obedience are seen to coincide.  We believe and so we obey. 

I think the single most important reason for the various messes we are experiencing in our world today is right here.  We don’t believe God and so we don’t obey Him.  What is God saying to you today?  Are you obeying Him?  Have you been putting Him off and telling yourself that you will get to that someday?  Are you like the second son who says he will obey, but doesn’t?  Stop kidding yourself!  If you have no intention of obeying today it is unlikely you ever will.  On the other hand, if you are willing to undergo an honest evaluation today and make a change then you can find yourself in the position of the first son and gain the reward of obedience.