1st Reading – Ezekiel 18:25-28

Thus says the LORD:
You say, “The LORD’s way is not fair!”
Hear now, house of Israel:
Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?
When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity,
and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.
But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed,
he does what is right and just,
he shall preserve his life;
since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Ezekiel served as a prophet from approximately 592-571 BC. This was a bitter time in Israelite history because the Kingdom of Judah, the last remnant of the once-glorious Israelite nation, was conquered by the rising Babylonian empire under Nebuchadrezzar. Jerusalem surrendered in 597 BC, but later renewed its efforts to resist Babylon, resulting in the destruction of the city in 587-586 after a lengthy siege. In both debacles and again in 582, large numbers of Jerusalem’s prominent citizens were forcibly deported to Babylon as exiles.

Ezekiel was a priest who was deported in the first wave in 597 BC. His call to prophecy came five years later when he had a vision of the “throne-chariot” of God.

In today’s reading, Ezekiel addresses his fellow Israelites in exile, who seem to be challenging the justice of God.

Thus says the LORD: You say, “The LORD’S way is not fair!” 

The Israelites felt their exile and the loss of their nation were a punishment for the sins of their ancestors, hence they cry out about fairness.

Ezekiel, however, is the prophet of individual responsibility.

Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?

God responds with a counter-accusation: It’s Israel’s ways that are unfair.

When a virtuous man turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.

God outlines a principle of individual responsibility, citing two scenarios. In the first, a righteous person sins; in the second, a sinner repents.

If a righteous person turns away from their righteousness and commits sin, they will face the consequences of their actions, which, in this context, means death. This is generally understood as spiritual death, i.e., separation from God, who is the source of life.

But if a wicked man, turning from the wickedness he has committed, does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins which he committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

God also highlights the possibility of repentance and redemption. If a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and starts living according to God’s laws, they can save their own life.

At issue is whether God’s actions in these situations are just or unjust.

In the first case, the righteousness in the person’s past doesn’t exempt them from the consequences of their current actions. This shows that righteousness is not a one-time achievement but an ongoing commitment.

In the second case, God shows mercy when a person turns away from a life of sin and sincerely repents. This highlights the transformative power of repentance and the possibility of a new beginning.

Clearly God’s justice is not granted according to the merits that someone accumulates over time; rather, it is granted based on the kind of person they have become. Is this injustice on God’s part? Exactly how did the house of Israel want God to act?

Today’s gospel reading also touches upon this dynamic between past actions and present behavior. Someone who appears to be saying “yes” to God may later turn away, while a sinner can choose to repent. Both Ezekiel and Jesus convey this essential truth with the hope that people will return to the Lord.

2nd Reading – Philippians 2:1-11

Brothers and sisters:
If there is any encouragement in Christ,
any solace in love,
any participation in the Spirit,
any compassion and mercy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one thing.
Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests,
but also for those of others.

Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend,
of those 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 week is the second of a four-week study of Philippians.

Last week, Paul encouraged the Christians in Philippi to “conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27a). In today’s reading, Paul teaches them how to do just that, employing one of Christianity’s most exalted hymns of praise of Christ.

Brothers and sisters: If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing.

Paul is making an affectionate appeal to a group of people he loves. He begins with a conditional rhetorical clause, which is somewhat awkward.

When Paul founded the church in Phillipi, he sought to create a community where people shared similar values and were like-minded. He’s basically saying: “If you have embraced the benefits that flow from a life in Christ, complete my joy by living in unity.”

“Remember that God is one, His Son is one and His Holy Spirit is one, and all three are one. If so, then we too ought to be one in our thoughts, so as to be `of the same mind’ with the one God. Then it follows that we are to have `the same love.’ To be of the same mind pertains to knowledge, while to have the same love pertains to discipline, to the conduct of life.” [Marius Victorinus (ca. 355 AD), Epistle to the Philippians 2,2-5]

Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also for those of others.

Paul emphasizes the importance of humility and warns against selfishness and conceit. Believers should prioritize the interests and well-being of others over their own.

Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus,

Paul offers Christ as the foundation and model for this kind of living.

From here, Paul pivots into a profound reflection on Christ that is often referred to as “The Christ Hymn.” Its lyrical structure suggests that it may be a hymn or canticle that predated this letter, and it stands as one of the New Testament’s most celebrated and theologically rich passages.

who, though he was in the form of God,

The original Greek (morphēn Theou) makes it clear that “form of God” refers to Jesus’ divine nature. Morphēn signifies the essential nature, character, or intrinsic qualities of something rather than just its external appearance.

“If Christ were only a man, He would have been said to have been ‘in the image of God,’ not ‘in the form of God.’ We know that humanity was made in the image, not the form, of God.” [Novatian (ca. 235 AD), The Trinity 22,2]

did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.

Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity who existed from before the creation of the world, did not cling to his divine privileges.

Many see an allusion to the Genesis story here: Though in the form of God (Genesis 1:26-27), Jesus did not seek equality with God the way Adam and Eve did (see Genesis 3:5-6).

Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness;

Not only did Jesus relinquish his Godlike state, he “emptied himself” (kenosis). He did not empty himself of divinity, but of the glory and status that comes with that divinity.

The Second Person of the Trinity could have become human without setting his glory aside; in that case, his divine glory would have shone through his human nature the way it did at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1ff).

Instead, he chose to be like men in all things but sin (Hebrews 4:15, 2 Corinthians 5:21), including the vulnerability and powerlessness of the human condition. By doing so, he was able to bear our sorrows and be stricken, as Isaiah prophesied (Isaiah 53:4).

“What is more humble than the King of all creation entering into communion with our poor nature? The King of kings and Lord of lords clothes Himself with the form of our enslavement; the Judge of the universe comes to pay tribute to the princes of this world; the Lord of creation is born in a cave; He who encompasses the world cannot find room in the inn…; the pure and incorrupt one puts on the filthiness of our nature and experiences all our needs, experiences even death itself” (St. Gregory of Nyssa, Oratio I in beatitudinibus).

and found human in appearance, he humbled himself,

In taking the slave-like human condition, he also took on the vulnerability and powerlessness of that station in life.

becoming obedient to death,

For a slave, obedience is the determining factor, and the extent of Christ’s obedience is striking. Compliance with God’s will in a world that is alienated from God requires that one be open to the possibility of death.

even death on a cross.

In a sense, Christ’s crucifixion was inevitable. It was a common punishment for slaves, the nadir of human abasement. Such ignominy was an indication of the completeness with which he emptied himself of his divinity.

Because of this, God greatly exalted him

The self-denying act of Christ is matched by the active response of God. His exaltation is as glorious as his humiliation was debasing.

Note that while Christ was the subject of his self-emptying, his superexaltation is attributed directly to God. His extreme humiliation is matched by his extreme glorification.

and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

Recall that in the Jewish culture, one’s name contains the essence of the individual. God has raised Jesus’ name, his essence, above every other.

Explicit mention of the new name is held back until the end of the hymn.

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend,

This hymn transfers to Christ the homage given to God alone (Isaiah 45:23).

of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

According to ancient thought, these are the three levels of the universe. All of creation is brought under Christ’s lordship.

and every tongue confess

Another reference to Isaiah 45:23.

that Jesus Christ is Lord, 

Finally, the new name of Christ: Kyrios (Lord), which came to be substituted for YHWH in Christian copies of the Septuagint Old Testament.

to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus’ new position on the heavenly throne constitutes no rivalry to the Father, to Yahweh himself. On the contrary, Jesus’ voluntary abasement and the homage paid to him by creation bring honor to the Father.

While the christological importance of this hymn is clear, we should remember that Paul wrote it as a stirring incentive for the Philippians’ own attitudes of mind and heart. A life worthy of the gospel is a life lived in self-sacrifice for the good of the other.

Gospel – Matthew 21:28-32

Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people:
“What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’
He said in reply, ‘I will not,’
but afterwards changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go.
Which of the two did his father’s will?”
They answered, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him.”

Much has happened between last week’s gospel reading and today’s reading, including Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Jesus is now teaching his disciples in the courts of the Temple.

Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people: 

Just before this passage, the chief priests and the elders approached Jesus and questioned the source of his authority (Matthew 21:23-27).

The Parable of the Two Sons is part of his response to them.

“What is your opinion? A man had two sons.

Stories involving two siblings are a recurring theme in the Bible, often as a narrative device to convey deep spiritual lessons. Examples include Cain/Abel (Genesis 4:1-16), Jacob/Esau (Genesis 25:23-28), and Mary/Martha (Luke 10:38-42).

He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’  He said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went.

The two sons represent different ways of responding to a father’s command.

The first son refuses to obey outright, a serious breach of protocol in a patriarchal society. However, he eventually repents (metamélomai) and fulfills his father’s request.