God Always Takes the First Step

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Sunday, September 20, 2020

What’s the reason for the coming of Jesus? Why did he come and continues to come? Is it because God is angry? Is it because God wants to lord it over us? Is it because God needs something? No, not at all! Jesus comes to us purely out of love, out of God’s desire for us to flourish. Jesus comes in order to show us, teach us and help us live out the best version of ourselves. He comes so that the justice of the world might be restored. Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s salvific intent, shown throughout the Old Testament. He comes to bring divine life even into the darkest places. Jesus wants to hunt us down and bring us into a wonderful relationship with God. Today’s first reading taken from the section of Isaiah’s prophecies called “the little book of consolation” (Isaiah 40-55) is a good example of God’s outreach to humanity. The prophecies contained in it are prophecies of hope and salvation. In it Isaiah announces to the people of Israel that even though the Lord has punished them for their centuries of infidelity by the loss of their land and exile to Babylon, that Yahweh the Lord still loves them so much. He insists that Yahweh has not abandon them. In fact, he followed them into exile and also returned with them to their land. Now that they are back to their land, Isaiah urges them to “seek the Lord while he may be found, call him while he is near. Let the scoundrel forsake his way, and the wicked his thought; let him turn to the Lord for mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving.” 

In today’s Gospel (Matthew 20:1-16a), we see divine outreach in display. The Son of Man as the landowner goes out at different times of the day—five and six in the morning, and again at nine in the morning, then at noon, three and five o’clock. What is he looking for? He is looking for the laborers of faith, hope and love. He is looking for collaborators, co-workers, co-creators, and co-evangelizers. He is looking for you; he is looking for me. He is inviting us into a relationship and partnership of love. The Father sent his Son all the way into time, history and human condition. He sent him into our sin and dysfunction, and finally all the way down into hatred, violence, rejection, and death itself. He sent him down so that he can lift us up. 

Sisters and brothers, though Isaiah beckons on us to seek the Lord, but in reality, it is the Lord that seeks us out. God takes the initiative; God always takes the first, second and third step in his search for us. God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were still scoundrels, our Savior dies for us (Rom. 5:8). However, as Isaiah notes, this is the time to accept the friendship of God, for it may not always be the case. One important lesson to learn from today’s Gospel is that there will be a time for payment and reward for everyone. Those who accepted the Lord will receive acceptance; while those who rejected him will receive rejection. It is what we sow that we reap.