Readings
I - Gen. 37: 3-4, 12-13. 17-28
II - Mt. 21: 33-43, 45-46
BE OPEN TO THE TRUTH
Today’s Gospel passage is about the parable of the wicked tenants that beat up the servants and finally beat and kills the son of the owner too who were sent by the owner to collect the produce from his vineyard. This parable infuriated the chief priests and Pharisees because the parable of Jesus pointed at them directly. Though these people claimed themselves to be ‘the people of God’ and took pride in the same yet rebelled against almost all messengers of God whenever the message was not appealing to them. The same thing happened with Jesus too. They were not ready to listen to Jesus, the Messiah for whom they awaited so long years because they were too proud and were not open to the truth. Instead, the sinners, the tax collectors and the prostitutes accepted Jesus and his teaching making the concept of People of God, a universal one.
We are not different from the Chief Priests and the Pharisees. We too are often ready to accept only the truth that are in line with our thought pattern and mind set. Instead today’s Gospel passage is an invitation to search for and accept the truth as it comes despite from whom or where it comes. The Bible says, “O that today you would listen to His voice, harden not your hearts” (Ps. 95:7). Let us with an open mind and heart be simple enough to accept and appreciate the truth as it comes to us through the Word of God, our conscience, friend and people around us. May our mind and heart resonate with the prayer “Lord Jesus, give me the grace to search for and accept the truth”.
