Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus said, “When you pray, realize before whom you stand.”
Jesus offers a contrasting picture of pray-ers from a
slice-of-life moment in the temple in Luke 18:9-14.
The first guy, a Pharisee, a leader in the religious
community has found the appropriate place to pray; appropriate time to pray;
appropriate posture to pray; followed the strictest code of the Pharisees to
fast twice a week and give a 10th of his income (even of his
garden): he is perfect! Except for one
thing, he forgot to whom he was praying.
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| Dore Pharisee and Tax Collector |
The second guy, a tax collector has found an awkward place
to pray; wrong time to pray; improper posture to pray; never fasted or tithed: he
is wrong! Except for one thing: he
offered his prayer to the right person.
Take note of the sins confessed and the sins forgiven. The Pharisee believes he is free of sin, and
has no need to confess any sin. He has
done everything required of him. He has
kept every law (which is really quite commendable considering the weight of the
Jewish law). He has lived righteously
before all people. No one could accuse
him of any wrongdoing, especially hypocrisy.
His life is an open book, and truth be told he hopes all will read
it. Can we fault him? Dare
we fault him? Fault him for what:
praying too much, giving too much, fasting???
When was the last time I fasted, much less twice a week? This guy is a model citizen! You would want
your children to act like this guy, want your daughter to marry this guy. Well, maybe, because she would soon learn
what Jesus seems to already be aware of: the one sin this guy is guilty of is
the one he failed to confess--pride.
Now, that’s not to condone the other guy. The other guy is, well, a sinner. He admits it.
Based on his occupation, he is probably prone to committing all the sins
known to money. Greed, cheating, using,
consuming, wasting. Of course I’m just
guessing, or perhaps confessing.
Whatever the case, this guy is not going to be elected president of the
Kiwanis of Greater Jerusalem. But he
seems to have one thing going for him: self awareness-- I’m a sinner.
Jesus isn't telling this story to teach that God likes
heathens better than religious folks.
It’s just that the opposite isn't true either (although it’s often
assumed). Nor does God like religious
folks better than heathens. Truth is,
God our father, likes us all the same.
Jesus is telling the story because he wants those of us who classify
ourselves as heathens to take a deep breath and trust the grace of God. The roof of the church isn't going to blow
off just because you came in the door. I
promise! Jesus is also telling this
story because he wants those of us who classify ourselves as religious folks to
take a deep breath and trust the grace of God.
That’s right. Religious folk, like
the Pharisee of the story and the Pharisee in me, do a good job of trusting our
religion. I put my faith in my good
works. I put my faith in good choices. I put my faith in my good name. I put my faith in my goodness. And that gets us about as far as…well, our
sin. There is no faith that saves
outside of our faith in Jesus’s redemptive work.
This Lent you are invited to observe a fast, go on a
journey, take account of your days. I
would specifically ask you to observe a fast from religiosity, go on a journey
with the tax collector to the altar of humility, and take account of all that
Jesus has done and is willing to do for you.
Amen. :)
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