[00:00:05] Hello, my name is Sally Moriarty-Flask. Welcome to: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible study podcast. Together we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, September 27, 2026, the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
This week's episode is entitled: Honor and Justice, and in this week's Gospel, Jesus tells a parable in the temple that challenges the honor and justice of the chief priests and elders of the Jewish people, but they simply don't understand his message.
As we journey through the readings this week, consider the following:
Through the prophet Ezekiel, God tells the house of Israel that even a man who is considered honorable will die for his sins, but that a wicked man who repents will live. Paul reminds the Philippians that Jesus was honorable and just, that he emptied himself for us, that he humbled himself for us, and yet he died on the Cross for us… for our sins. Perhaps these Scriptures are inviting us to examine our own lives to honestly assess whether we are honorable and just… or not; to see if we are repentant… or not. There's still time. Time to turn away from selfishness, time to be humble, time to repent. So, what are we waiting for?
Let's begin in prayer:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for your words in Sacred Scripture. Help us open our minds to them and allow them to dwell deeply within our hearts. May they help us to be humble, to repent, and to turn always to you who loves us more than we will ever deserve. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:02:20] Now that we've opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures. Our Gospel this week is from Matthew 21: 28-32.
“[Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people:] ‘What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” And he answered, “I will not”; but afterward he repented and went. And [the man] went to the second [son] and said the same; and he answered, “I go, sir,” but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.’”
The Lectionary has again made a jump in Matthew's Gospel from one chapter to another. Last week we were at the beginning of chapter 20, this week we find ourselves in the middle of chapter 21… for a very good reason. Because at the beginning of chapter 21, Jesus enters Jerusalem for the final time before his Death.
[00:04:00] He makes that triumphal entry into the city, welcomed by crowds hailing him with cries of: “Hosanna in the highest” and we hear that reading on Palm Sunday. But Jesus doesn't stay in Jerusalem - Matthew tells us Jesus stayed in Bethany, probably with his good friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Bethany was a favorite stopping point for Jesus since it is just two miles from Jerusalem, which is about an hour's walk across the Kidron Valley. This week's passage takes place the morning after Jesus cleansed the temple in Jerusalem. When the chief priests and elders see Jesus that next morning, they confront him as he enters the temple and ask him by what authority he does the things he has been doing. This parable begins Jesus's response to that question. So, let's listen to what Jesus has to say in THIS parable…
[00:05:08] “[Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people:] ‘What do you think?’”
Jesus will now present a fictitious scenario, and he wants the chief priests and elders to offer their considered opinion in return. In other words, Jesus is asking how they would interpret that particular situation.
[00:05:33] “A man had two sons;”
Whenever Jesus presents two of anything we know, from our experience with the Gospels, that he's setting up a contrast - usually between something good and evil… or right and wrong.
“and [the man] went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he repented and went.”
There's a lot going on in that one sentence… so, let's break it down. In the honor/shame society of their day, his initial refusal to do what his father asked would have been seen as shamefully defiant… his words would have brought shame, but upon both himself and his father. The son's subsequent obedience wouldn't have completely erased that shame, but may have mitigated it to some extent. And Jesus uses this first son to represent those who were considered to be dishonorable by the Jewish religious authorities - tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners. But those were also the people who heard the preaching of John the Baptist, who repented of their sins, and were then baptized by John in a baptism of repentance.
[00:07:07] “And [the man] went to the second [son] and said the same; and he answered, “I go, sir,” but did not go.’”
Again, in that honor/shame society, that son's response - indicating obedience to his father's instructions - would have been perceived as honorable, but his hypocritical actions, his later refusal to do what his father asked, would have been perceived as less dishonorable in the eyes of others.
[00:07:42] That seems strange to us, but that is how it would have been understood at the time. The second son, then, represents the Jewish religious authorities, the Scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the chief priests and elders, all of whom rejected the message of John the Baptist.
[00:08:07] These were people who knew the law, who studied it, who regularly read the prophets and the writings, whose actions were supposed to be guided by the wisdom contained therein, and yet they neither listened to John nor did they repent.
[00:08:27] So, there is that contrast that Jesus wants the chief priests and elders to consider. Jesus then asks…
“Which of the two did the will of his father?”
Notice, Jesus doesn't ask who sounded obedient… he doesn't ask which son appeared honorable, but rather who did the will of his father. Which reminds us that words are just words… but actions are important, actions matter.
“[The chief priests and elders] said, ‘The first.’”
Based on the question Jesus asked, that is the only possible answer.
“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.’”
[00:09:27] Our faith is demonstrated by our actions, not by our words… by what we do, rather than by what we say.
“For John”
Meaning John the Baptist
“John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it”
Meaning when the Jewish religious authorities saw the repentance of those sinners.
“even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.”
[00:10:13] We would be mistaken if we assumed that this parable was intended solely for the chief priests and elders of Jerusalem in Jesus' time. It was directed at them initially, of course! Jesus was trying to shake them out of their complacency and get them to honestly assess their relationship with God AND with others.
[00:10:44] It does the same thing for us! In our lives of faith, just being good enough is NOT good enough! This parable challenges us to be honest - with ourselves - about our relationship with God AND the condition, the status, of our discipleship. It asks us which son we represent. It invites us to look critically at ourselves and decide if we are doing enough to nurture our faith, if we are always Striving to repent, if we are searching for more authentic ways to follow Jesus, if we are pursuing a closer relationship with Jesus? There's still time… so, what are we waiting for?
[00:11:51] That takes us to our First Reading, which is from Ezekiel 18: 25-28.
[00:11:59] “[Thus says the LORD:] ‘[Y]ou say, “The way of the Lord is not just.” Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die for it; for the iniquity which he has committed he shall die. Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is lawful and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.’”
The prophet Ezekiel is considered to be one of the most theologically profound and most difficult to understand of all the Major Prophets in the Old Testament. There's a Jewish adage: don't approach Ezekiel until age 50, meaning that anyone wishing to study Ezekiel should possess the maturity and life experiences needed to be able to understand what they will read in that book before they ever try to read it.
Ezekiel wrote to his fellow exiles in Babylon, using words that were direct and sometimes graphic, his behavior could be erratic and - at times - provocative. In fact, some modern scholars question the state of his mental health. But only a sane person could produce the literary masterpiece that is the book of Ezekiel.
[00:14:03] And we must also understand that his strange behavior and inflammatory words were intended to shock his fellow exiles out of their moral, ethical, and spiritual complacency! And chapter 18, the portion of Ezekiel from which this passage is taken, is a sort-of treatise on morality, integrity, and responsibility.
[00:14:36] So, let's listen to what Ezekiel has to say…
“[Thus says the LORD:]”
Those words tell us that Ezekiel was relaying God's words to his fellow exiles.
[00:14:48] “[Y]ou say,”
Meaning the Jews in exile.
“The way of the Lord is not just.”
[00:14:54] That statement is often followed by the sentiment: but we can't do anything about it. Which removes the responsibility for moral action from the exiles. It essentially says: everything that happens is God's fault, not ours; we can't do anything about it, so why worry?
“Hear now, O house of Israel:”
God is saying - you're wrong, so listen up!
[00:15:27] “Is my way not just?”
[00:15:30] That's God's way of saying… really? That's your excuse?
“Is it not your ways that are not just?”
[00:15:40] In other words, whatever happens isn't my fault… it's your own fault - it isn't God's fault, it is the fault of those who are acting unjustly, unethically, and immorally.
[00:15:57] “When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity,”
When a good man sins or treats others unjustly.
“he shall die for it; for the iniquity which he has committed he shall die.”
[00:16:19] Meaning that each individual is responsible for his or her own actions. That despite whatever temptations may arise, each person's actions are their own and are the result of individual choice.
[00:16:41] And when those actions lead to sin or injustice, then that person shall be punished… and that punishment may be more or less severe.
Through Ezekiel God says here that iniquity or sin leads to death. Paul echoes that in Romans 6 when he says: “for the wages of sin is death” whereas in 1 John 5 we read that some sin is “deadly” while others sin is not.
[00:17:19] “Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed”
The word “again” typically indicates emphasis or agreement. However, the NAB translation uses the word but, which often signals contrast. So, let me read that sentence beginning that way.
“But, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is lawful and right, he shall save his life.”
[00:17:58] And I think the use of the word “but” rather than “again” to begin that sentence points out the contrast. And it is quite obvious why the Lectionary paired this passage from Ezekiel with this week's Gospel.
While Jesus did not indicate that any sort of punishment was meted out to either son in the parable, we can nevertheless see the two sons in the words Ezekiel recorded.
The first son, who eventually DID do his father's will, corresponds to the man who turned away from wickedness (or who repented) and therefore avoided punishment.
The second son, who did NOT do his father's will, corresponds to the man who commits iniquity for which he is punished. Ezekiel then continues…
“Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.”
Every choice we make involving faith, ethics, morals, or personal integrity either strengthens or damages our relationship with God - there is no middle ground.
We either make the faithful, ethical, moral, or upright choice… or we don't.
[00:19:43] Human beings cannot be perfectly faithful, ethical, moral, and just, but we cannot - we must not - persist in doing wrong, in making unfaithful, unethical, immoral, and unjust choices.
Honor comes from living in fidelity to God and his commands… from listening to Jesus and following his examples. This passage challenges us to show God - and the world - who we are through the quality and integrity of our actions, because with every moral choice we face, we define our identity and impact our world - for good or ill.
[00:20:52] So if we aren't strengthening our relationship with God, if we aren't being faithful to his commands, if we aren't listening to Jesus, if we aren't following his examples… there's still time.
[00:21:13] We're still here, so there's still time. So, what are we waiting for?
[00:21:23] That takes us to our Responsorial Psalm, which is Psalm 25, and the refrain is:
“Be mindful of your compassion, O Lord.”
And here are the verses:
“Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.”
“Be mindful of your compassion, O LORD, and of your merciful love, for they have been from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, or my transgressions; according to your mercy remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O LORD!”
“Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble and his way.”
This Psalm can be a bit challenging to classify. There are those who say it is a Wisdom Psalm because it is instructive in nature and because the Psalmist expresses his trust in God while also asking for the Lord's guidance - topics that are common to Wisdom Psalms. Others, however, classify it as a Lament because it does begin and end with the Psalmist expressing his faith and trust in God. The main body of the Psalm, however, doesn't reflect a typical Lament - the Psalmist doesn't pour out his pain and anguish as does typically happen in a Lament Psalm. Instead, the main body of this Psalm expresses confidence in God.
And this is another one of those Psalms that has the structure of a Hebrew Acrostic Poem, and if you think back to last week, I said there are actually nine different Psalms that have that structure - where each line in the Psalm begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew Alphabet. This particular Psalm uses all 22 letters in ancient Hebrew… suggesting that the Psalm is complete, that it conveys everything one needs to know about the intent of the Psalm - be it confidence in God, instruction about God, or a lament to God.
The final sentence in the final stanza for this week, reminds us that God leads those who are humble in what is right and teaches them his ways… reminding us again that there's still time… still time to be humble, still time to learn God's ways and still time to do what is right. So, what are we waiting for?
[00:24:29] That takes us to our Second Reading, which is from Philippians 2: 1-11.
“[Brothers and sisters:] [I]f there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
This is the second of the four passages we will hear from Philippians this fall. Remember, this letter is not an Occasional Letter. Paul was not addressing a specific problem or issue that required correction in the Philippian community, he is simply writing to them out of gratitude for their support of him and to offer them his encouragement - which is particularly appropriate as that is one of the first words we encounter in in this passage.
I do also want to mention that local parishes are given the option of proclaiming either a longer or shorter version of this passage. As always, I really hope that parishes choose to proclaim the longer version of any Scripture whenever the choice of a longer or shorter version is offered… every passage in the Lectionary is intended to present a cohesive message - in and of itself - as well as to, hopefully, shed light on the other Scripture passages with which they are combined. So, my hope is always that the longer option is chosen.
I will, however, point out the end of the shorter version when we reach it as we go through this exegesis. So, let's listen to what Paul has to say to the Philippians…
“[Brothers and sisters:] [I]f there is any encouragement in Christ,”
There's that word: encouragement, but here Paul doesn't mean just his own personal encouragement. He means encouragement in Christ.
[00:28:10] Now he's asking that as a question - notice he begins with the word “if” – but, of course, encouragement is abundantly present in Jesus which helps us understand that this is a rhetorical question.
“[I]f there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,”
[00:28:39] So, not just encouragement, right? Everything that Paul lists, every attribute is abundantly present in Jesus and generously shared by Jesus with all Christians. So, Paul is saying in essence that because Christ possesses all of these attributes, because he showers all of us with these gifts…
[00:29:10] “complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.”
When Paul says: “the same mind” and “one mind” - he means have the mind, the attitude of Jesus. And when the Philippian community is of one, same mind - is of like mind with Jesus - then everyone will have the same love that Jesus has - that mutual love - for one another AND for Paul… which will, in turn, make his joy complete.
“Do nothing from selfishness or conceit,”
In other words, don't rely solely on oneself or one's own accomplishments.
“but in humility count others better than yourselves.”
[00:30:16] The NAB translates “better” as “more important” – “count others as more important than yourselves” - meaning that we should focus our attention on others rather than on ourselves. And Paul doesn't mean that we should let others take advantage of us. He says we should be humble - that we should sacrifice our own pride - so that we can serve others, so that we can take care of others. It is that attitude of humility that comes from uniting ourselves to Christ.
[00:30:59] “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”:
And notice that Paul says “look not ONLY” to our own interests. Meaning that it's okay to take care of ourselves as long as we aren't the sole focus of our attention. We do have to care for ourselves; we have to care for our own physical and mental health, so that we CAN help others. And anyone who has ever been responsible for the life of another being, whether that is as a spouse, a parent, or even a pet owner - having another living being rely solely on us is a perfect lesson in humility and love and responsibility. And once that lesson is learned, we are forever changed by it.
“Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus,”
Again, be of the same mind… be of one mind… be of the mind and attitude of Christ. The NAB actually translates that as: “Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus.” And that is where the shorter version of this passage ends. I know I said earlier that the longer version of passages are always better - and they are - we'll see that as we go along. But I do think that if a parish ever chooses to use a shorter option, this might be a decent one to choose. Where the Lectionary ends this passage does present a unified and cogent message.
And there is a quote attributed to C.S. Lewis that fits in particularly well with the shorter version of this passage, it says: “Don't shine so that others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see him.” - meaning Jesus… and that quote sums up exactly what Paul has been saying.
Now - and for the next section in this passage - Paul focuses on Jesus…
“who, though he was in the form of God,”
Do not misunderstand Paul's words here. In that phrase, the word “though” could just as easily be translated as “because” - because he was in the form of God. And Paul is not saying that Jesus just looked like God but was not God… that is a heresy, the Manichean heresy, which denied the divinity of Jesus. That is not what Paul is saying!
The word Paul uses here, that is translated as form, is the Greek word morphē, which not only means outward appearance but also means essential nature. So, Paul means that, in the kingdom of heaven before his Incarnation, both Jesus' outward appearance and his essential nature were divine. So, because Jesus was fully divine, because he shared an essential nature with God his Father, Jesus…
“did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,”
Paul uses the word “grasped” very deliberately to contrast Jesus with Adam. To compare Jesus' self-emptying sacrifice which resulted in his Incarnation, Jesus' willingness to let go of the outward signs of his divinity in order to possess a human nature in addition to his divine nature - to contrast Jesus' ultimate act of humility and obedience to his Heavenly Father with Adam's act of grasping the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge in Genesis 3, which resulted in his and Eve's banishment from the Garden of Eden (among a host of other things). Paul continues, saying Jesus…
“emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”
Again, Paul is not espousing heresy! He is not saying that Jesus wasn't really a human being, that he just looked human, because that's another heresy called Docetism. And Paul uses that same Greek word morphē, meaning not just outward appearance but also essential nature. But this time Paul is describing Jesus’ humanity in the Incarnation, saying that the form of a servant, that human form, is what others perceived… until the Transfiguration - when Jesus’ divinity was visible through his humanity, his divine glory was manifest alongside his humanity.
“And being found in human form”
Saint Gregory of Nyssa (4th cent theologian and Bishop, one of the Cappadocian fathers, and brother of Saint Basil the Great and Saint Macrina), wrote:
“Christ emptied himself by compressing the glory of his Godhead within our smallness. What he always was (meaning his divinity) remained perfect and incomprehensible, but what he assumed (meaning his humanity) was in proportion to the measure of our nature.”
That is a beautifully eloquent way to explain the Incarnation! Paul then continues, saying that Jesus…
“humbled himself”
Again, contrasting Adam's arrogance - the arrogance of all humanity - with the humility of Jesus, who…
“became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.”
It was not enough for Paul to say that Jesus was obedient to the point of death… yes, Jesus' victory over death was won through suffering, but Jesus’ Death on the Cross was different.
[00:38:08] This was not the peaceful passing of an innocent man in his own bed!
This was the painful, humiliating, and public execution of an innocent man on a wooden cross, the most devastating death to early Christians. These were people who had witnessed crucifixions, who understood their brutality, who had seen the damage they inflicted upon the human body… and who knew that Jesus was innocent.
Up to this point, we have been hearing about Jesus’ actions… he emptied himself, he was born, he humbled himself, he was obedient, he died.
[00:39:04] Now Paul turns his attention to the actions of God the Father.
“Therefore God has highly exalted him”
God exalted Jesus by raising him from the dead, seating him at the Father's own right hand in heaven, and by clothing his Incarnate humanity with eternal, unchanging, and divine glory.
“and bestowed on him the name which is above every name,”
The name Jesus is no longer just any name… it is forever a name of honor and glory, a name that is above any name in either the human or angelic realms.
“that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,”
The NAB actually translates that as: “bend” - which makes more sense… knees are built to bend, but they really aren't built to bow. And those words should remind us of quotes from Isaiah 45, after God spoke to Cyrus, the King of Persia, when he said: “I am the Lord, and there is no other. There is no just and saving God but me. To me every knee shall bend” - again, indicating Jesus’ divinity and everlasting glory which stands - now and forever - at his Father's right hand. Paul says that every knee should… we'll say: bend…
“every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,”
[00:40:51] Those three indicate every realm of existence, as it was understood in biblical times.
“and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Despite the oh-so-temporary victory of death, Jesus’ obedience to the Father brought about his Resurrection and preserved his life, in his transformed and glorified human body, for all eternity. And the exaltation of Jesus, the glory revealed through Jesus, in turn, brings glory to the Father.
Through Ezekiel, God told his people that even an honorable man will die for his sins, but Jesus was both honorable and sinless…. yet he died for us.
Paul reminds the Philippians that Jesus was honorable and just, that he humbled himself, that he died on the Cross… for us.
In his parable, Jesus challenges the chief priests and elders to examine their own honor and justice, but they simply don't understand him.
As we study all of these Scriptures, we realize that they are inviting us to examine our own lives, to honestly assess whether we are honorable and just, to admit that we are not sinless, but hopefully repentant, to see that we are maybe not as humble as we should be but hopefully that we are turning away from selfishness, and becoming more loving, more responsible, more united to Christ.
We're still here, so there's still time! Time to be honorable and just... time to be repentant... time to be humble, responsible, loving... time to unite ourselves more fully to Christ.
So, let's not wait any longer!
[00:43:21] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]
Thank you for spending this time with me and until next we meet, may God shower his blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain, and may he hold you safe and secure in the palm of his hand.
From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask.
Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with the permission of the composer. All rights reserved.
Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis of this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening and God Bless.
