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Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
- Luke 18:9-14
Yesterday we read that Jesus spoke a parable to His disciples, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. This is just after He has taught about His eventual return (see Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together). Jesus said: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.' And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'" Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"
Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector." My study bible tells us that the Pharisee is a very highly respected person, and a careful observer of the details of the Law. We contrast this with the tax collector who is popularly despised as a sinner who collaborates with the occupying Roman forces. Thus, he not only betrays but also cheats his own people.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' " My study bible says that the tax collector shows by his posture an awareness of the state of his own soul: he stands far away from the altar of sacrifice with his eyes cast downward. This prayer, "God, be merciful to me a sinner," is the foundation of the Jesus Prayer, as is this refrain "Lord have mercy" that permeates traditional Christian worship and personal prayer everywhere. We must notice that the text tells us about the Pharisee that he prayed with himself. Proper prayer is a dialogue with God, not with oneself.
"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." My study bible explains that justified means forgiven and set right with God, "for inward humility is blessed while pride in outward deeds is condemned."
I think it's significant that Jesus gives us this great parable near the end of His ministry, particularly at a time in which He's told the disciples of His coming Passion (He is on the road to Jerusalem) and also of His Second Coming. Thus, this teaching -- this parable -- is given to us as He's preparing them for the time when He will not be with them in the flesh. It's a teaching especially for the time in which we live now, while we await His Return. How are we justified? Certainly, above all else, truth is indispensable to our faith. It is the tax collector who has a more correct viewpoint on himself. After all, Christ has said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Thus, we worship the Person who is truth; thereby our faith has to be one of honoring truth. How do we see ourselves clearly, except in dialogue with God? We cannot judge ourselves clearly. Often, I find, there is also "sin" on the opposite side of this coin, an over-statement of guilt, a kind of morbid guilt which is another side of self-centeredness. It's right "on the mark" where we want to be, and this is in the loving and truthful gaze of Christ, of God. Thus, prayer, as dialogue with the Lord, is our most important tool for understanding where we are and who we are, and maybe more importantly, where we need to go, what needs work in us. Thus, "Lord have mercy" becomes a prayer for everyone, for all time, for ourselves and for others, for our world, for those we love, and even for those who have done us harm. God's love is a love in truth, a love that corrects and heals and sets right, and calls us to repentance and recognition as well as reconciliation with God -- and, as best we can, with one another. This is a prayer one can use at any time, particularly to remind us always that we have a way to go to become truly "like Him." There is always going to be something we can't see about ourselves, something that needs a little work, some awareness, some change. A true translation for repentance in the Greek is "change of mind." We're always on the way there, and repentance is the means. In what way does God's mercy call on you to "change your mind" about something today? It may most likely be something you never thought about, it may be surprising, but it is always something that leads to God's love and healing, to reconciliation with Him. Today's reading reminds us also that our real business is between ourselves and God, and not what others must be doing! It is before God that we humble ourselves, and it is God who also exalts.
