Reflection on Today's Readings, 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, September 27th, 2020
Texts: Ez. 18:25-28; Ps. 25:4-9; Phil. 2:1-11; Matt. 21:28-32
Today's first reading tells us about the complain of God's people; they complain that God is not just in his way, in his dealing with them. They complain that God does not take notice of the past. God says, "You say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die for it; for the iniquity which he has committed he shall die. Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is lawful and right, he shall save his life." The divine justice is about what we have become and are doing. If we have been righteous for so long and yet do not recognize that it pays, then we have been fake all along; we have never been genuine. If we have been genuine all along, it would have known the overwhelming joy of being righteous; we would have felt the rush of peace in our souls. In the face of challenges we will rather say, like Jeremiah, "If I say, 'I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name, there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot." A righteous man who turns to evil is represented in the gospel by the son who only accept his father's will but does not do it. He is such a man who has been living in pretence and deception. He has been dutiful without love, passion and joy attached to his relationship with God. When a righteous man turns to evil, he is given what he works for, death.
When a wicked man repents and changes his ways, he has become good and genuine. Being righteous, he deserves to live.
We are to learn today that divine justice has nothing to do with how long, but what we have become. The number of years we do good or bad does not matter. What matters is whether we have become good or bad at the time of judgement. Today's readings give hope to sinners with a promise of new life whereby old things have passed away. The readings bring to mind that God does not reckon with our past. This reminds us how beautiful God's mercy is.
Today's psalm tells us that humility helps us to know the way of the Lord; it says God "guides the humble in right judgement; to the humble he teaches his way." The second reading advises us to "do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look for not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." If we are humble we will know that the way of the Lord is just. If we are humble, we will be aware of our sinfulness and be able go to God for forgiveness. St. Augustine once said, "If you should ask me what are the ways of God, I would tell you that the first is humility, the second is humility, and the third is humility." Humility enhances agreement with others. Humility facilities spiritual growth, a journey with God.
Lord Jesus Christ, give us your Spirit that we may be humble and genuine in our relationship with God and man. Amen.
Rev. Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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