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Reel Homilies

Why Real Obedience Grows From Trust

Episode Summary

Why do Maverick’s pilots finally follow him?

“We all love Maverick,” Fr. Tim begins. In Top Gun: Maverick he’s the ace, the best pilot in the room, “literally the Top Gun.” Still, his young pilots won’t really follow his lead at first. What changes things is watching him fly the run himself and prove it can be done. Their trust makes real obedience possible.

Fr. Tim ties this to this Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 21:28–32). A father asks his two sons to work in the vineyard. The first says no, then changes his mind and goes. The second says, “Yes, sir,” and never shows up. Jesus takes obedience “really, really seriously,” and what counts is actually doing the Father’s will. Fr. Tim is clear that Jesus isn’t after the grudging kind of obedience where we shrug and say, “I guess you’re God, I got to do it.”

Jesus shows the depth of his love for us, above all on the Cross, so that we can trust him. God’s loving initiative comes first: “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Scripture calls our response the “obedience of faith,” a free yes to God, whose truth can be trusted completely. So when obeying God feels hard, Fr. Tim’s advice is to “ask for a deepening of trust,” and then take the next faithful step.

[00:00:00 –> 00:00:01] We all love Maverick.

[00:00:01 –> 00:00:06] He is the ace. He is the best pilot. He is literally the Top Gun

[00:00:06 –> 00:00:08] Maverick’s character and Top Gun Maverick.

[00:00:08 –> 00:00:09] He proves

[00:00:09 –> 00:00:11] that his pilots can trust him

[00:00:11 –> 00:00:15] when he does that crazy maneuver by himself.

[00:00:15 –> 00:00:18] Before that, no one can really be obedient to him.

[00:00:18 –> 00:00:19] What changes

[00:00:19 –> 00:00:21] is when Maverick does the maneuver for himself.

[00:00:21 –> 00:00:23] And then all the guys leave the briefing room.

[00:00:23 –> 00:00:24] They trust him,

[00:00:24 –> 00:00:26] and then they can be obedient.

[00:00:26 –> 00:00:28] This is huge for the gospel for this Sunday.

[00:00:28 –> 00:00:29] Jesus.

[00:00:29 –> 00:00:30] He takes obedience

[00:00:30 –> 00:00:32] really, really seriously.

[00:00:32 –> 00:00:36] And it’s not a blind obedience where Jesus tells us what to do. And we have to say,

[00:00:36 –> 00:00:38] yeah, I guess you’re God, I got to do it.

[00:00:38 –> 00:00:40] Jesus proves his love for us

[00:00:40 –> 00:00:42] so that we can trust him.

[00:00:42 –> 00:00:43] And then obedience follows.

[00:00:44 –> 00:00:45] There’s no trust. Then.

[00:00:45 –> 00:00:46] I’m not going to do what you tell me.

[00:00:46 –> 00:00:47] Not listening to you.

[00:00:47 –> 00:00:48] Jesus.

[00:00:48 –> 00:00:51] he proved his love for us.

[00:00:51 –> 00:00:56] Ask for a deepening of trust. That’s going to lead to obedience. This is Spirit Juice. Peace.

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Key Takeaways

  • Maverick’s pilots only follow him after watching him fly the mission himself. Their trust makes real obedience possible.
  • In this Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 21:28–32), the son who does his father’s will is the one who actually goes to the vineyard, even though he first said no.
  • Jesus doesn’t want blind or grudging obedience. The Church teaches that the obedience of faith is a free response to God, whose truth is completely trustworthy.
  • God’s love takes the initiative. “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
  • Jesus lived perfect obedience himself, “becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8), from this Sunday’s second reading.
  • Christian obedience grows from trusting faith. When it feels hard, ask Jesus for deeper trust and keep taking faithful steps.

What This Means for Prayer and Daily Life

Pick one area of your life where you already know what God is asking. Maybe you’ve said “yes” to him and haven’t followed through, like the second son. Maybe you’ve said “no” because it feels like too much.

Ask yourself honestly whether trust is part of what’s holding you back. Sometimes the question underneath “Can I do this?” is “Do I trust him with this?”

Then remember what Jesus has already done. He gave his life on the Cross. He gives himself to you in the Eucharist. And he’s been faithful in your own story, probably more often than you’ve noticed.

This week, rather than relying on your own strength alone, follow Fr. Tim’s advice: ask for a deepening of trust, and take the next faithful step. Bring that one specific thing to Jesus in prayer and ask for the grace to act on it.

A simple prayer for this week:
“Jesus, you showed me your love on the Cross. Deepen my trust in you, and give me the grace to do the Father’s will in what I say and in what I do. Amen.”

FAQ Section: Trust, Obedience, and Doing God's Will

They belong together. Faith is first of all personal adherence to God, a living relationship with him, and it also means accepting the truth he has revealed. Because God can be trusted completely, that faith shows itself in obedience that’s freely given.

No. The Church describes the obedience of faith as freely submitting to God’s word because God is Truth itself. It’s a free response of love that involves both our mind and our will.

Most of all through the Cross. “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus said it himself: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

In Matthew 21:28–32, a father asks two sons to work in his vineyard. One refuses, then changes his mind and goes. The other agrees and never goes. Jesus teaches that doing the Father’s will is what counts, and that it’s never too late to turn back to God.

Maverick’s pilots don’t really follow him until they see him fly the run himself. Fr. Tim uses the scene to show how trust makes real obedience possible, and how Jesus has shown his love for us, especially through the Cross.

Start by naming the specific area where you’re resisting and bring it to Jesus in prayer. Ask for deeper trust and for the grace to take the next faithful step. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is also where we receive God’s mercy and grace to begin again.

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