Tuesday of the Third Week in Advent
Eddie Haskell was a subordinate character in the ancient
television series Leave It to Beaver. He acted as a foil to the main character Theodore,
the Beaver. Eddie was not really a bad
boy, but he did enjoy mischief-making.
When his schemes were discovered, he would try to sweet-talk his way out
of the trouble. His manner differed
decidedly from the innocent sincerity of the Beaver. Although the two were not brothers, their different
modus vivendi could be seen as
similar to that of the two brothers in Jesus’ parable today.
Jesus is describing what God looks for in people. He divides humanity into two groups, both of
which are comprised of sinners. Those in
the first group, he says, make no pretensions about trying to please God. They do whatever they wish but then come to
repent of their selfishness. The second
group tries to fool God by paying Him lip service. They end up falling far short of fulfilling
their commitment. Of course, it is the
first group that pleases God.
We must emulate its members.
The holiday season may test us in this regard. We can get everyone gifts, go to church, and
even donate to charity. But this does
not mean that we have pleased the Lord. We
need to change our focus. We have to do
what is right not to vaunt ourselves but to assist others in their need. Only then will we be pleasing to God.
