Mt 21: 28-32 God is Bigger Than We Think

Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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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?"

Ask and you will receive?  Ground Zero is the struggle between the Father's Will and my will.  Will I do what the Lord asks of me or will I refuse?  It's easy to say, "Yes, sir."  It's another thing to actually do it.

This is our greatest struggle - battle - in life.  Whose life is this, anyways?  Does it belong to us alone or does it belong to us and to the author of life?

With Christ, our life takes on a new dimension.  It becomes something to be shared, given and received.  It becomes a gift to the world.  Am I ready to make this jump, this necessary step, and on a daily basis?

I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  This is a good start.  But it is only a start, the beginning.  Actually, it is only the first day out of many long and dark days and nights. 
Recently I heard a man on the radio who claimed to have accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior back in 1993. "And then?" I asked myself.  I was waiting for the struggle, the battle, the difficulties and the trials, the CROSS...but it never came up.  It almost sounded like he was already in Heaven.  He just kept on going, talking about how God had blessed him and his family with lucrative record deals and wonderful children.  Good for him.  I switched channels.

I know that twenty years ago I took my vows.  And then?  Oh, boy.  Then the Cross appeared.  The difficulties, the long and endless nights. The struggles, the insecurities, the shame, the regrets, the feeling of being inadequate.  What came worse was the pride! Oh yes, the PRIDE!  That has never fully left me.  It occasionally (often) sticks its ugly head out.  What I have learned is that every day I must renew my vows.  Every day I must accept Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior.  Every day I must renew my vows or else...it will be back to Ground Zero. 

Conversion.  Today's readings are all about change - changing one's mind; that is, thoughts, words and actions.  In other words, changing one's life! Are you changing, and changing for good and God?

We are on course towards heaven, and either we will softly land there or crash and burn there (hell)!  Every day is an important day in the battle for souls, and the Lord is fighting tooth and nail for us to win.  Who are we fighting against, you ask?  A fallen world, fallen angels, fallen lives, and a fallen self. 

We are very weird.

Thus says the Lord:  You say, "The Lord's way is not fair!"  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, he does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life..."

God's ways are not weird; our ways are weird.  We work so hard for temporal things.  We kill ourselves to provide for our families only to lose our families.  We think more about personal success than about personal sacrifice.  We aim to appease and please, rather than seek truth and love.  We care so much more about the "perfect" body, house and job than the "perfect" heart, home and vocation.  We seek a comfortable life, rather than a virtuous life.  We'll pick up the phone for a conference call but miss out on a piano recital. We think poetry boring because it adds nothing to our technology.

We are so weird.

But then comes along the convert. 

A few days ago I read an interesting article entitled:  "Chief of $2 trillion investment firm decided to quit after 10-year-old daughter presented him with list of 22 milestones in her life that he had missed."

Wow!  How so-out-of-touch with today's notion of success.  How archaic and primitive or, better yet, "Medieval" of her to think her life matters?  Doesn't the 10-year-old understand that daddy needs to work so that she can attend the best private schools and have the most interesting public life?  Doesn't she know that a house, electronic gadgets and the most up-to-date wardrobe is what every little girl dreams of?  Doesn't she know success is measured in dollars?  How else would it be measured? 

What's the direct, measureable and quantifiable measurement for success?

Read the article.  Draw parallels.  Make your own conclusions.  What is happening to this gentleman is happening to many others.  He is thinking of the little things in life that are bigger than we think.

"Unless you become like this child, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven" (cf. Mt 18:3).

God is bigger than we think.

Conversion isn't a once-in-a-life-time event.  It is like growing up.  It's ongoing.