t is hard to get people born in the church to understand that Jesus will often upset our way of thinking. They want a comfortable religion where they have control over everything. No surprises. When we hear the parable (teaching story) of the Pharisee (a religious observant Jew) and the tax collector (a despised turn-coat to the oppressed Jewish people) we have our system of good and bad turned upside down (Lk. 18, 9-14).
The Pharisee (he was a good guy) came forward and informed God of all the good things he was doing. He fasted twice a week and gave a tenth of his income to others. Thank goodness he was not like the despised tax collector at the back of this prayer hall!
What a contrast! The despised one (he was complicit with the Roman enemies who oppressed and taxed the people very heavily) could only stand at the back and pray, “Be merciful to me, a sinner.”
Jesus uses the despised one to show the honesty and humility that we all must have as we stand before God.
No one can earn their salvation and say to God “you owe me because of my good and dutiful life!” Our goodness with God always comes as a gift from God. We are made holy first and foremost because the Holy Spirit is working in us. Salvation does not depend on how good we are but on the work and gift of God.
This tax collector stands as a model for all believers. We come before God with all our failings, with all our sinfulness and our hard-heartedness. We do not use our goodness to downgrade the weakness and failings of others.
If we all knew ourselves (the personality that others have to live with and get along wtith) we would all be humble!
Today, gather together your sinfulness, your self-centeredness and your indifference toward the sufferings and woundedness of others. Hold your sins and our weaknesses in your hand and begin your prayer. You will feel very humble.
But as Jesus will teach us: your littleness and your humility will bring you to understand what Jesus is all about and deepen your life of faith. Hold on to your weaknesses and it will bring you freedom!
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