The Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

The tie in between today’s readings: Pride vs. Humility

Psalm 25:4-9, Ezekiel 18:25-28, Philippians 2:1-11, Matthew 21:28-32

Everybody loves babies. From the moment they are born, we shower them with attention, hold them constantly, and take an abundance of pictures so that the world can see what miracles they are. We gladly give them our hearts in an unbreakable life changing connection. Growing from infant to toddler, we cheer them on as they try to walk and anguish over their potty-training. Every new word is applauded: mama, dada, pup-peee, birrrd. Until the one day that they make us cringe by saying the most dreaded word of all…NO! The struggle of wills has begun. This tug of war will continue for years through varying degrees of arguments, slammed doors, and heartaches, but it is all necessary. It is the process that will define our final relationship. Will we achieve the best of friendships with them or become acridly estranged? Time will tell. Our Father in heaven, who loves us dearly, goes through the same thing with us.

The first lesson that we learn from today’s reading in Ezekiel 18:25-28 is that God’s ways are nonnegotiable. We, on the other hand, want what we want when we want it. Our complaint with the Almighty on this point ranges from annoyance to outright resentment; as if He torments us with free will. We have it, but we really can’t use it without a world of hurt if we step out of line. We know that God loves us more than anything. Like a good parent, the Lord won’t condone our harmful sin preferences when He has a better path…a perfect path for us to take. So, the conflict continues. To have a relationship with God, we need to surrender ourselves to the Almighty with the understanding that Father knows best.

In the last part of our Ezekiel reading, we see a common story of two different people. One is the man, who starts out with the Lord, but abandons Him because either God “disappoints” or sinners have much more fun. It is such a serious matter that the Almighty addresses it in Psalm 73 (hint, hint). The other person, having come to the end of his rope of wrong choices like the Prodigal Son, comes back and is received with open arms by a patient and loving Father. What parent hasn’t prayed those prayers? Our gospel, in Matthew 21:28-32, gives a parallel example with the lip service son, who disregards his father to go off to do his own thing, verses the rebellious brother, who repents and obeys. When it comes to the struggle of wills, we are free to go and free to come back. It’s not that the Almighty will zap us for wrong actions, per se. It’s that choices have consequences. In the end, when we reap what we sowed, understand the our heart was the heart of the matter.

Our reading in Philippians 2:1-11, encourages us to look to Jesus, who always did the Father’s will, as our example to help us in our persistent struggle to obey God. In this passage, St. Paul emphasizes Christ’s humility in achieving the Father’s purposes. It is the key to our Christian walk not only in our personal lives, but also when dealing with others. Humility places us under God’s kingship. Humility makes us pliable to the Holy Spirit. In it, we can tap into the power of the Almighty. Humility makes us focus beyond our noses to see and bear each other’s burdens. It brings the unity of fellowship, purpose, and love that pleases our Lord. It is the antidote to pride’s poison in the struggle of wills.

When it comes to relationships, God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). As you walk the roads of life, you are free to pick your paths in the struggle of wills. The choices you will make come down to this: Who do you think God is and who do you think you are? So, is it going to be the “My way Highway” or will you follow in the tracks of the Savior? Your eternal destiny lies at the end. Choose wisely.