26th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Buttering Parsnips

 

What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the 1st and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard’. ‘I will not’, he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, Sir’, but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted?

Matthew 21.28 – 31

What do you think? Which child are you most like? You might think that the one who obeyed his father in the end is preferable but, to be frank, neither wins ‘favourite child’ status in their father’s eye. We probably feel that we are a little of both at times but that is no recommendation either. There must be another way.

I imagine that we all know to whom Jesus was referring when he told this parable. The first are those who live self-indulgent, disobedient lifestyles ignoring God but then repenting and following Jesus; the prostitutes, gluttons, and tax-gatherers are representative sinners. The second are those who are self-righteous, smug and who profess piety but cynically fail in their obedience to God; the Jewish religious and secular leaders of Jesus’ time, still representative sinners.

The point of this parable is that neither is perfect, even if the first is obedient in the end. It teaches us that a promise is never a replacement for obedient service; we are not buttering parsnips here. On the other hand, service is marred by lack of grace and enthusiasm.

The ideal, the Christian way, is to serve our heavenly Father obediently with respect, good grace, and enthusiasm.

So, do we butter our faith with fine words or are we ‘push comes to shove’ Christians or are we ready to please our Father by saying ‘yes’ and meaning ‘yes’ in perfect obedience.

Come, sinners, to the gospel feast,
let every soul be Jesu’s guest;
you need not one be left behind,
or God has called all humankind.

Sent by my Lord, on you I call,
the invitation is to all;
come, all the world and witness how
all things in Christ are ready now.

His love is mighty to compel;
his conquering love consent to feel;
yield to his love's resistless power,
and fight against your God no more.

This is the time; no more delay!
This is the Lord's accepted day;
come in, this moment, at his call,
and live for him who died for all.

Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

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