The problem of evil is as ancient as the Fall in Genesis. Human nature has since remained unchanged. Yet, the readings of today shift our focus away from good and evil in abstract terms to looking at its practical aspects: our personal responsibility and our capacity for conversion.
In the First Reading (Ezek 18:25-28), the Jews in Babylonian exile look for someone to blame. That’s typical human psychology. Stripped of their homeland and Temple, they accuse God of being unfair, feeling they were being punished unjustly for the sins of their ancestors rather than for their own actions. God sharply rejects this view, saying: ‘Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?’
In this text, we find a foundational Old Testament expression of key spiritual realities: free will, personal responsibility, inner conversion, the risk of complacency, and the absolute need for God’s grace. That is to say, God looks for personal accountability, not our ancestors’ sins; we are not defined or trapped by our past failings or even our environment. If the righteous turn away from virtue, they fall; but if the sinner repents and does what is right, they preserve their spiritual life. God’s justice is not a trap but a continual invitation to change course.
This capacity to turn around requires a surrender of ego, as St Paul illuminates in the Second Reading (Phil 2:1-11). In what is one of the most beautiful Christological hymns – Carmen Christi, a Latin phrase that translates literally to ‘Song of Christ’ or ‘Hymn to Christ’ – in the New Testament, the Apostle exhorts us to give up selfishness and boastfulness, adopting instead the attitude of Jesus. Christ was divine, yet emptied Himself (kenosis) not of his divine nature but of the earthly manifestation of His glory. He took the form of a servant and became obedient even unto death on a cross. Thus, humility is key; it unlocks us from our sinful patterns.
Finally, the Gospel (Mt 21:28-32) puts human psychology at the centre of the story through the Parable of the Two Sons. When asked to work in the vineyard, the first son initially refuses, but later, feeling sorry, he goes. The second son politely says, ‘Yes, sir,’ but does nothing. Jesus uses this to pierce the complacency of religious authorities. The chief priests and elders are like the second son – professing righteousness but remaining unmoved. Meanwhile, the marginalised tax collectors and prostitutes, who initially walked away from God, repented at the preaching of John the Baptist and entered the Kingdom of God first.
The core message of today’s liturgy of the Word, therefore, is that God is not tyrannical but just and merciful. He cares less about a flawless start and far more about a faithful finish. God challenges our defence mechanisms and calls us to humbly change our behaviour rather than just our words. True obedience is not found in pious promises but in the ongoing decision to change our lives for the better.