St. Francis' Call to Action

Dearest e-votees,

Saint Francis of Assissi is quoted as having said:  "Preach the gospel, use words if necessary."  What he seems to be saying is that actions speak louder than words.  What he seems to be saying is that if you have to choose between action and words--go for action.  What he seems to be saying is that words aren't always necessary.

Saint Francis leads well into the parable in this Sunday's appointed gospel reading:  Matthew 21:28-32.

Peace,

Karl

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Jesus speaks, in the hearing of the chief priests and the elders and the crowds that he had been teaching, a parable of a man and his two sons.

He tells one of his sons to go in the field and work.  His son says "I will not" but then changes his mind and goes to work after all.  His words say "no" but his actions say "yes".

He tells the other one of his sons to go in the field and work.  This son says "I will go" but then changes his mind and doesn't go to work after all.  His words say "yes" but his inaction says "no".

Jesus pulls it all together with the question:  "Which of these two sons did the will of his father?"  The answer is the first.  The answer affirms that actions are more important with words.  

This parable leads Jesus to praise prostitutes and tax collectors who have come to a place of repentance (like the first son initially saying no with their actions and presumably their words, but the changing his mind ending with proper actions and hopefully their words).

This parable leaves religious leaders (chief priests and the elders) at the wrong end of the story.  They initially said yes with their words (and presumably their actions) but drifted away in a fashion that left them self-righteous, hypocritical and nasty.  Beyond all that, even when they saw the first sons (the tax collectors and the prostitutes) turn in repentance and change their actions they couldn't be bothered.  

This all reminds me of another story of a father and his two sons.  The elder son (the second son in the above parable) does what he should but has a hard and callous heart towards his younger brother.  He does the right things but says things that are ill-considered.  His actions started well but fell apart and it took his soul along with them.

The younger son (the first son in the above parable) doesn't do what he should.  He speaks horribly telling his dad he's as good as dead to him and makes his way off with his part of the inheritance.  While away he has a change of heart.  He comes to a place of repentance.

The father (cipher for God) loves both sons (in both parables) but is truly pleased by those whose actions come around as they live into repentance.  God runs in the Luke 15 story (not what dignified patriarchs do).  He wants the elder brother to rejoice with him.  But his heart is in too hard a place--for now at least.

Dear God, help us live lives that bring glory to you and joy to people we encounter.  Help us rejoice in repentance and refrain from hypocritical judgment of others.  Help us preach the gospel with actions.  Help us speak words that match those actions and offer others hope as well.  Amen.