Ezekiel 18:25-28 / Philippians 2:1-11 / Matthew 21:28-32
When it comes to making impressions on others, we know the importance of the first impression.
Because the first impression can be pressed into the minds of others and stay on for quite some time.
So obviously, we want to give others a good first impression. Especially when we are meeting a person or a group of people for the first time, we would do our best to impress.
So, we would try to impress them with our eloquence, our fine social etiquette, our education and qualification and our profession.
We want people to think that we are reliable, honest and trustworthy.
Generally, that is what we will do during interviews and in our social and business interactions.
In the eyes of the world, image and impression are important if we want to succeed and move up in life.
But that also raises questions, and it is for us to reflect on those questions if we want to.
One of the questions would be, why are we trying to impress others, and what is the purpose for doing so.
Another question is what is our true self, and what is it that we really want to be in life.
In a gospel parable, Jesus told the story of the two sons. The father asked the two sons to go and work in the vineyard.
The first son said he will not go, but then thought better of it and went. The Second Son replied with apparent eagerness, but then did not go.
The different responses from the two sons would help us reflect on the impressions that we give to others.
Like the first son, we may often say No to any request, and that would be the convenient and safe answer.
We would give that kind of response to those who don't really matter to us, or to those from whom we don't have much to gain from. And if they are offended by our attitude, it wouldn't bother us much.
On the other hand, we may also be like the second son in that we want to impress others, but we have our own motives for doing so.
Whatever it may be, we have the shades of the two sons, and we have to decide on what kind of son we want to be.
We don't want to give a fake Yes just to impress. Others will come to know our true character and integrity alone the way.
And if we keep saying No, then eventually we will find ourselves lonely and isolated in our own world.
But whether it is a Yes or No, let us think about it and about the kind of person we want to be.
We don't want to live lonely and isolated lives, nor do we want to be a fake just to impress others.
Let us think the better of it, and think about the kind of person that God wants us to be.
God created us with love and in love. God created each of us to be a loving person.
The 2nd reading tells us something of what a loving person is like. A loving person is not conceited, he is self-effacing, always not thinking of his own interest first but other people's interest instead.
To be a loving person is not for impressing others.
To be a loving person is to be who God wants us to be.
Let us begin by saying Yes to God and No to ourselves.