Homily

“The tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you,” Jesus said to the Pharisees who were listening to him in the temple. Without a doubt, these words sounded like a scathing insult to the Pharisees. They considered themselves (and were regarded) as being “pure”; so, how could they be preceded by tax-collectors and prostitutes?! What is Jesus’ reprimand of the Pharisees? First, he remarks on the gulf between what they “say” and what they “do.” And he points this out by telling a short parable. A man had two sons; he asked both to work in his vineyard. The first son in the beginning refused, but later regretted it and went to work. The second son said he was ready, but then he did not go. At this point Jesus asked the Pharisees, “Which of the two did the will of the father?” They can only answer, “The first.” It was the only possible answer. Therefore the Pharisees are the ones who reveal the contradiction between “saying” and “doing.” Many times throughout the Gospel we read the exhortation that words are not enough; what counts is “doing the will of God.” Words alone do not save. We need to put them into practice. The example of the first son is efficacious: he fulfils the father’s will not with his words, which were spoken contrary to the father’s will, but with his actions.
In the figure of the father we see the Lord who calls us to work in his vineyard. And obviously God desires that the work truly be done as Jesus said: “Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord”, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt 7:21). Whoever listens and does not put it into practice, or who loves with words, but not with deeds, is like one who builds his house on the sand: the rains come, the rivers rise, the winds blow and the house falls to ruins. The one who listens to the Gospel and seeks to put it into practice builds his house on rock (Mt 7:24-27). The disparity between saying and doing shows the Pharisaic religiosity that Jesus stigmatises. His accusation is obviously not addressed just to the Pharisees of Jesus’ time, but to whoever acts like them or cares more about appearances than about substance, more about words than deeds, more about the exterior than the heart. If we examine ourselves just for a moment we will immediately see how much each one of us is similar to that second son who was ready to say “yes” with his lips but not willing to concretely do the will of God. Sometimes there is an obedience that carries the tone of deference, appearance and equilibrium, but that hides a subtle interior rebellion; whereas, there can be an exterior disobedience that on the surface seems unbecoming and undisciplined, but in reality has a commitment that is valid and exemplary.
Jesus verifies that it is easier for a sinner to mend his ways than it is for a self-righteous, sure and arrogant person to break out of his hard shell of self-satisfaction and habits. Jesus pulls the example from those who listened to the preaching of John the Baptist: the Pharisees rejected it, while sinners converted. They were not satisfied just to listen and so they asked, “What then should we do?”(Lk 3:10-14). And they put into action what the preacher prescribed. This is faith: to listen to the invitation of the Gospel and to regard it as words personally addressed to you, not as abstract words to be debated and dissected. Those who let their hearts be touched by the Gospel, distance themselves from self-concern and abandon themselves to the will of God. Ultimately, the religiosity of the Pharisees leads to self-satisfaction with one’s behaviour and deeds. The example of St. Francis of Assisi whom we will celebrate in a few days stands in contrast to the religiosity of the Pharisees. He was a disciple in the fullest sense of the word: he listened to the Gospel and put it into practice to the letter. No, he is not a hero. He is a man who allowed the Lord to love him completely and followed him without resistance. He left everything behind because he found the one who loved him more than he loved himself. In truth, it is like this for us. Jesus loved us more than we loved ourselves. St. Francis of Assisi recognized this. Because our eyes are still focused on ourselves and our problems, we have a hard time seeing the Lord. We want to gaze upon the Lord and allow ourselves to be loved by him.