The Third and Fourth Sons in the Parable of the Two Sons

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus recounts the very short parable of two sons–one who seemed unfaithful in his words, but ultimately followed his father’s instruction, while the other seemed faithful in words and even quick to say “yes!” yet, ultimately did not obey the very words he said “yes” to. One may argue that the one who proved faithful was the son who carried out his fathers’ instructions despite the initial resistance.

Yet I am moved to include the storyteller, Jesus among the sons we are called notice. And of course in Jesus, we find a third Son who is faithful both in word and in deed and in whose love we can incline our hearts so that by our loving contemplation of him, some of the fidelity and obedience may rub in on us. Well, if you wish, we can consider ourselves the fourth child. While the parable as a story recounts of two sons and their respective dispositions, the parable as narrative has the third son, Jesus, as the narrator of the parable who is the faithful one both in word and deed, and we, the narratees, the ones to whom Jesus addresses the parable now as the fourth child whose response has yet to come to light.

In the first place, contemplating Jesus, we can learn trust and surrender. After all, people who would tend to resist at first instance and block off the deepening love relationship probably have things to defend or have need for a clear map on how to proceed where a genuine loving relationship have no clear maps to help us navigate. Trust and surrender asks from us a leap of faith, an opening to vulnerability with only the assurance that God loves and God cares to draw us and confirm us in a more complete self-gift.

Secondly, contemplating Jesus, we can learn to befriend mystery and to open ourselves to a God who resists any form of reduction or idolatry. God draws us closer to Godself, yet he will resist any attempt from us to put him in a box so we may fully understand him and take a hold of him. God as Truth has made Godself knowable and accessible to us, yet not completely. As with the Greek’s notion of truth as “aletheia” God as Truth reveals Godself to us even as God hides Godself in dark mystery as well, so that even in finding God here and there, we thirst for more and continue seeking him out. There’s more to know about God and ourselves.

Finally, contemplating Jesus, we can learn obedience through sacrifice. Alas, the self-gift and self-surrender are not without cost. We learn obedience by sacrifice. Our love deepens as our offering of self becomes more serious and of value and consequence. As we die more and more of ourselves, we proclaim by our dying that God is more and more to us. What John the Baptist proclaimed becomes truer in us: “I must decrease, so he may increase!” so that in due time we can honestly proclaim as with St. Paul: “It is Jesus and not I who lives in me.”

And so this third Son who is faithful in words and deeds, faithful in fact in everything in his life, will become the very spirit of our own life. We ask especially as we journey along the last leg of our Liturgy’s Ordinary time, that Christ our Lord may continue to reveal himself to us, and allow this kind of fidelity to spring forth and take root in us and our communities. So the we, the 4th child in this parable, may indeed become faithful children in word and in deed. God Bless!

Homily delivered by Fr. Victor Baltazar, SJ
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 October 2023