The Best of Both Sons

Homily for Tuesday of the Third Week in Advent

Zephaniah was a prophet in Jerusalem in the seventh century before Christ during a time when many of the citizens of Jerusalem had fallen into the sin of idolatry under the rulers of the Assyrian Empire. Zephaniah speaks words of judgment and woe for all who have turned their backs on the Lord. Zephaniah speaks of the coming Day of the Lord which will be a day of judgment for the Jews and other nations.

Along with the judgment, Zephaniah speaks of healing and redemption. The prophet announces that God will change and purify the lips of the peoples. God promises that a remnant will remain who shall take refuge in the name of the Lord. With the chosen people, others from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia and as far as the recesses of the North will come to the Lord. Indeed, Zephaniah’s prophecy becomes a reality through the preaching and ministry of Jesus.

Using a parable, the Gospel of Matthew addresses the chief priests and the elders of the people, two groups who are frequently depicted as the opponents of Jesus in the Gospel. The story of the two sons contrasts those who do the will of the Father with those who do not. Stories involving two sons appear with some frequency in both the Hebrew Scriptures and the Gospels. These stories are used as a foil to reflect the fact that frequently it is the person who initially resists obedience who eventually embraces it. The chief priests and the elders would certainly have been familiar with the stories as well as with the prophecies of Isaiah and the Zephaniah, both of whom make the point that God’s Kingdom is not simply for the Jews but for everyone.

Both sons have something to offer each of us. May we possess the grace to be the best of both sons by saying yes to our Father and by actually obeying even if our initial response was to turn away.