Our Father’s Will and Our Struggle

26^th Sunday in the Ordinary Time

28 September 2014

Mathew 21:28-32

“Son, go out and work in the vineyard today(Mat 21:28).”

Following God’s will is not an easy path. It is difficult because often, His wills are going against the grain of our personal desires and ambitions. Therefore, it entails a lot of struggles to renounce oneself. The parable is a beautiful narration of our inner tug of war. Sometimes, we are like the second son who is reluctant and initially refuses his Father’s will, yet eventually changes his mind. Or, at times, we imitate the first son who takes up the challenge, yet finally fails to achieve it.

Jesus does not mention the inner states of both sons when they are facing their Father’s request, but I believe there is an internal tension. Both sons are aware that working in the vineyard must be somewhat laborious if not backbreaking, (if easy, they would have done it immediately!). The second son, knowing his limited strength and weakness, says no to the demand. While, another son, confident with his ability, embraces the challenge. However, something happens along the way and both have a second thought. Perhaps, the second child realizes that the vineyard also belongs to him and his father’s intention is for him to take good care of what they possess. The first child might suddenly remember of his past failures and finally back out.  

Now let us make theirs story ours. What is God’s will for us? Well, it is actually pretty obvious. Scriptures speaks of 10 Commandments. These are the basic and yet, for many of us, they are quite hard to follow. When we are living in poverty and in dire need of food, taking a rich person’s possession can make its way to our consciousness, yet we do not also want to become a thief. How are we going to uphold the value of faithfulness in marriage and family life if we are living in the society where infidelity and promiscuity are more like a norm than an exception?

However, Jesus demands something more radical than the Ten Commandments: love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you! How on earth are we going to love someone who have hurt us so badly? A friend told a story of his mother who abandoned him at the door of the orphanage just after his birth. He had to survive in very harsh conditions and work hard for an average life. After years of separation, however, he met again his mother, poor and in need of costly medical care. What shall he do? Let her suffer since she deserves that; forgive her, but doing little to alleviate her poverty since he is also facing financial problem; or making all the effort to return her health and happiness?

We have our own stories, and perhaps, they post much more complicated dilemmas and deep tension. Yet, we must not dwell in paralysis or even choose evil over good. Jesus ends his parable with a question, “Which of the two did the father’s will?” The answer is pretty obvious: the first son. Of course, it is easier said than done, but there is a greater purpose why we need to do the Father’s will.  This is not for Him, but for our sake. We have this penchant to forget that the ‘vineyard’ also belongs to us since we are His children. Our Father’s will is that we may embrace who we truly are, His children. And because our God is essentially love, then there is no greater way to manifest our identity than through love. In time we face a difficult scenario of life, the measure is always which option will give me the best opportunity to love even greater. Blessed John Henry Newman once advised, “Fear not that your life will come to an end but that it will never have a beginning.” We may miss the fullness of life if we fail to embrace our struggle and fear to love.     

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP