Daily Reflection – 12/13/2022
Keepers Of The Tabernacle
Faith Series
Sacred Scripture
Jesus said to the chief priests and the 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 he 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 said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him.” (Matthew 21:28-32)
Reflection
Life is all about consequences from birth to death. We all know that and live with that responsibility every day.
Despite that, there are times when we make the wrong choice. Sometimes inadvertently, sometimes deliberately.
Every follower of Jesus shares something in common with each of the two sons. It is hard to admit, but too often we are like the first son. We confess as Christians that we want to follow the will of God, and yet every time we sin, we do the opposite. How many times each day do we turn away from our Heavenly Father through the words we speak or the deeds we commit or fail to commit? How many times a day do we pray and then go off and say (or post) something that is contradictory to Him?)
None of us are perfect. None of us have been good all our lives. We all sin. Just like we should take note that God does not play favorites, we should do well to remind ourselves that all of us have failed God.
Yet, just like the first son, who initially flunked the test, there is always a chance to repent. We can turn around our relationship There is never a time when we cannot start honestly working in the vineyard for Jesus.
All of us know that there are consequences to the mistakes we have made. But those consequences can be helpful if we use them. The gospel asks us today to think about the effects of our poor decisions and allow them to change us.
If we remember how our words hurt someone else because of their cruelty, we can allow those words to lead us to be a person who treats others with respect and patience. Our infidelity can lead to commitment, our indulgence to service. Embarrassment over our prideful actions can motivate us to care for the poor and the oppressed.
We have all sinned. But if we look at the consequences of our mistakes, sin need not be our final condition. We may have hurt the people we love. We may have made a mess of our responsibilities. We may have said no to the God who calls us. But it is not too late.
Each day brings us the chance to be in a constant state of conversion, always seeking to live more faithfully so our actions match the faith we confess.
That’s the good news. The God who loves us wants each of us to love him enough that we live out his words in our life.
Prayer of The Day
“Lord Jesus, change my heart that I may only desire that which is pleasing to you. Help me to respect your will and give me the strength, joy and perseverance to carry it out wholeheartedly.”
Daily Note
May we, in humility, recognize how often we imitate the first son whose promises are not matched by his actions. Then, may we rejoice that our Father in heaven calls us in love to return to Him daily like the second son, that He may forgive us, restore us and draw us closer to living the faithfulness we seek.
