The sins of the ‘just’

A reflection on the parables

 

There is a clear, focused, sharp and disturbing message that comes to us in the parables of Jesus. In most of the parables we see two groups: One group is good, obedient, hardworking,  everything seems to go right with them; the second group is rebellious, disobedient, lazy, sinful and everything seems to go wrong with them. The conclusion to most of the parables is almost shocking – the good are shut outside and the sinful are celebrating inside.

In the parable of the Prodigal son, the sins of the younger son is clear and known to all. He rebelled, he went far from home, he wasted money, he did things that are wrong, finally, he repents comes back home and everything works out well for him, and is celebrating inside the house with his father. Instead, the elder son who stayed at home obeyed his father, worked hard, finally is bitter, angry, upset, and refuses to come inside the house.  (Luke 15.1-32)

In the parable of the pharisee and the tax collector, the Pharisee is a man of prayer, he fasts twice a week, he contributes generously. According to his estimate, he is not a thief, nor an adulterer. With outstretched hands and with a sense of pride, close to the altar, he says a prayer of thanksgiving to God. Instead the tax collector knows that he is a sinner and with head bowed, beats his breast and acknowledges his sins. While the pharisee knows well the sins of the tax collector and his own virtues, the tax collector does not point a finger at anyone except himself.

The sinner near the door with his face bent down is perhaps the prodigal son on his way back home, and the self-righteous pharisee is the elder son, for he seems to have all the virtues of the elder son. Jesus concludes the parable saying the pharisee went home satisfied with himself  and the sinner went home sanctified before God.  (Lk.18.9-14)

In the parable of the workers in the vineyard, we have the punctual, hardworking, sacrificing obedient workers sweating it out twelve hours a day. While the second group is lazy, easy going, merrymaking escapists who try to avoid work and get money for work half done. They might have been in the bars or on the beeches when the master came in the morning looking for workers. They worked an hour in the cool of the day while the early comers worked in the heat and the dust the whole day. Both receive the same amount at the end of the day.  The lazy ones go home whistling and dancing, joyfully surprised at their good fortune while the early comers are angry, bitter, and grudge the generosity of the master to the latecomers. It is not difficult to see the elder son, who grudged the generosity of the father to the prodigal son,  among these grumblers. ( Mt.20 1-16)

In the parable of the wedding banquet, there are those whom the master invited with much care and love, his friends, collaborators, ministers, he reserved for them special seats of honour and sent his servants to remind them of the invitation. While the second group from the streets and lanes were not so close to the master nor prepared for the banquet and invitation came to them almost by chance. They had a pleasant surprise and responded almost at once and are finally at the wedding banquet dancing and celebrating while the first group took the invitation for granted and refused to attend. The younger son was surprised at the party thrown for him while the elder son took it for granted and was perhaps busy buying lands, trying out oxen, and making arrangements for a honeymoon trip. ( Lk.14.15-24)

In the parable of the two sons, we have the first son almost rebelling, refusing, almost challenging the authority of the father,  but later he repents and does what the father wanted. Instead, the second son says ‘yes’ to his father and does the opposite and refuses to do what the father commanded. ( Mt.21.28-32)

In all these parables the virtues of the first group are evident. Others as well as themselves know they are good, prayerful, fasting, punctual, sacrificing, hardworking, chaste, obedient, respected, esteemed, almost impossible,  even for the devil’s advocate, to find fault with them. They could very well be candidates for canonization.  But in the end, they turn out to be the grumblers, unhappy, jealous, angry, and refusing to join the celebration.  Beneath the cloak of goodness lies the resentful, accusing, grudging,  self-righteous person ready to surface at the first provocation.  

Instead, the second group is rogues, thieves, adulterers, lazy and disobedient. Society and they themselves know their sins, they repent, they ask forgiveness and everything turns out to be right for them. They are finally at the wedding banquet, happy and surprised at the generosity of the master, rejoicing,  dancing, and celebrating with the father.

  The message of Christ is clear and sharp. It is better to rebel and repent than profess obedience and disobey. It is better to be in the streets and lanes and be surprised by the invitation than be friends who take the invitation for granted. It is better to be a sinner who acknowledges his sins and receives salvation as a free gift than a self-righteous person who demands from God his rights. It is better to wander and come back home than be lost at home, not knowing what a home is, who a father is.

-         T.V.George sdb