Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle C

LUKE 18:9-14

DID YOU HEAR THE STORY OF THE LITTLE GIRL WHO CAME HOME FROM SCHOOL ONE DAY ALL EXCITED. “THEY VOTED ME THE PRETTIEST GIRL IN THE CLASS!”, SHE SAID. THE NEXT DAY, SAME THING; “THEY VOTED ME THE MOST POPULAR GIRL IN THE CLASS!” ON THE THIRD DAY, SHE WAS EVEN MORE EXCITED. “TODAY THEY VOTED ME THE MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED!” THE NEXT DAY SHE CAME HOME CRYING. HER MOTHER SAID, “I GATHER SOMEONE ELSE WON THE VOTE TODAY.” “NO” SAID THE GIRL, “I WON. I WAS VOTED THE MOST STUCK UP.”

JESUS ONCE SAID THAT NO MAN WHO LIGHTS A LAMP PUTS IT UNDER A BUSHEL; INSTEAD HE PUTS IT ON A LAMP STAND SO THAT ALL THAT ENTER WILL SEE THE LIGHT. AND HE ALSO SAID, “LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE MEN, THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN. MOTHER THERESA ACCEPTED THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR HER WORK AMONG THE POOR AND FORGOTTEN IN INDIA. AND DOWN THROUGH THE AGES WE'VE GOT MANY SAINTS WHO DID NOT HIDE THE FACT THAT THEY DID EXTRAORDINARILY GOOD WORKS.

THE PHARISEE IN THE STORY JESUS TOLD SEEMS TO BE DOING THE SAME THING. WE KNOW THAT PHARISEES WERE PEOPLE WHO WERE FULLY COMMITTED TO NOT ONLY OBEYING THE LAW, BUT SORT OF MOVING THE LAW INTO THEMSELVES. THIS PHARISEE TITHES, SO HE IS GIVING MORE OF HIS INCOME TO HIS RELIGION AND HIS CHARITIES THAN MOST OF US DO; AND HE FASTS, WHICH IS A PROFOUND RELIGIOUS ACT THAT MANY CHRISTIANS HAVE COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN ABOUT. AND YOU COULD PROBABLY CHECK ON THIS PHARISEE AND FIND THAT HE LIVED AN EXEMPLARY LIFE. SO WHAT IS THE PROBLEM HERE? PHARISEES WORE SPECIAL CLOTHING AS THEY WENT ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS; WHAT THEY WORE WAS BASED UPON WHAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE FIVE HOLY BOOKS OF MOSES. IF YOU PUT ON THOSE CLOTHES IN THAT SOCIETY, YOU WERE INVITING PEOPLE TO WATCH YOUR EVERY MOVE, AND IF YOU BROKE EVEN A SMALL COMMANDMENT, YOU WERE CONDEMNED AS A HYPOCRITE. AND THIS PHARISEE, PERHAPS, IS GLAD THAT HE IS NOT LIKE MOST OTHER MEN, GLAD THAT HE HAS THE STRENGTH AND WILL-POWER TO OBEY THE LAW DOWN TO THE LAST LITTLE DETAIL. AND MAYBE HE THINKS, BY PRAYING HIS PRAYER OUT LOUD, THAT SOME OF THE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE TEMPLE MIGHT SAY, “IF THAT GUY CAN DO IT, MAYBE I CAN DO IT AS WELL.”

AND THE TAX COLLECTOR. TAX COLLECTORS FIRST OF ALL WORKED FOR THE ROMANS. THE ROMANS WOULD GO INTO A VILLAGE AND APPOINT ONE OR MORE TAX COLLECTORS. THIS WAS AN ENVIABLE POSITION FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT, EVEN THOUGH YOU'D BE KICKED OUT OF POLITE SOCIETY. THE WAY THINGS WORKED IS THAT YOU WENT OUT WITH A FEW ROMAN SOLDIERS AND YOU LOOKED OVER YOUR NEIGHBOR'S CROPS, OR HIS VINEYARDS OR HIS OLIVE TREES, OR WHATEVER HE DID TO MAKE A LIVING. YOU MADE AN ESTIMATE ABOUT HOW MUCH THIS WAS WORTH AND YOU CALCULATED THE PERCENTAGE OWED TO THE ROMANS. AND YOU THREW IN A LITTLE EXTRA, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU MADE YOUR LIVING. TAX COLLECTORS GOT PART OF WHAT THEY COLLECTED. AND SINCE THE AVERAGE CITIZEN COULDN'T READ OR WRITE, AND SINCE THE ROMAN SOLDIERS WERE THERE TO ENFORCE YOUR DECISIONS, IT WAS A PRETTY NICE TRADE, AND EASY TO CHEAT ON. PEOPLE DIDN'T BECOME TAX COLLECTORS BECAUSE THEY WERE RELIGIOUS, OR GIVEN TO GREAT HONESTY. THEY BECAME TAX COLLECTORS TO GET RICH. AND YET OUR TAX COLLECTOR GOES HOME “JUSTIFIED.” ALL BECAUSE HE BEGS GOD FOR MERCY.

SO WHAT GIVES? IS JESUS SAYING THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE LIKE THE PHARISEE, AND WE SHOULD HIDE OUR LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL? IS JESUS SAYING THAT WE SHOULD BE LIKE THE TAX COLLECTOR, AND NO MATTER HOW BADLY WE SIN, JUST CALL OUT FOR MERCY AND ALL WILL BE FORGIVEN? I DON'T THINK EITHER IS THE CASE.

IF YOU ARE REALLY HONEST WITH YOURSELF – I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE, EVEN IF YOU ARE A WALKING SAINT – YOU HAVE TO ADMIT YOU COULD BE BETTER. YOUR PRAYER LIFE COULD STAND AN OVERHAUL. YOU COULD BE A BETTER HUSBAND OR WIFE, OR MOTHER OR FATHER. IN THE COURSE OF YOUR DAY, DID YOU CUT A CORNER HERE AND THERE? HOW ABOUT YOUR DIET, YOUR EXERCISE – COULD THAT USE A LITTLE WORK? HAVE YOU CALLED YOUR MOTHER LATELY? ANY FRIENDS YOU'VE NEGLECTED, OR COMPLEMENTS YOU HAVEN'T GIVEN? WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT COULD BE VERSUS WHAT IS, I KNOW I COULD DO BETTER. AND THAT'S THE ONLY COMPARISON THAT MATTERS. THE PHARISEE THINKS GOD GRADES ON A CURVE, AND AS LONG AS THERE ARE TAX COLLECTORS AROUND, HE'S GOT NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. BUT THE TAX COLLECTOR LOOKS AT HIMSELF, AND SEES THE GREAT GAP BETWEEN WHAT HE IS AND WHAT HE COULD BE. THE PHARISEE IS OF THE OPINION THAT HE DESERVES GOD'S FAVOR, BECAUSE HE'S BEEN SO GOOD AT KEEPING THE LAW. THE TAX COLLECTOR KNOWS THAT THE ONLY WAY HE'S GOING TO MAKE IT IS IF GOD IS MERCIFUL TO HIM; THERE'S NOTHING HE CAN DO, NOTHING AT ALL, TO MAKE GOD GIVE HIM A PORTION OF THE WORLD TO COME.

IT'S HARD GOING THROUGH A DAY WITHOUT AT LEAST MOMENTARILY CONTRASTING YOURSELF WITH SOMEONE ELSE; IT'S AN INSTINCT.. IF SOMEONE IS CLEARLY BETTER THAN I AM AT SOMETHING I TREASURE, I'LL FIND SOMETHING IN HIM THAT PALES IN COMPARISON TO ME. AND THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN GIVEN HUGE BLESSINGS – GREAT HEALTH, A GOOD MIND, A GREAT FAMILY, AND A LOT OF LUCK – AND FOR THEM IT'S EVEN HARDER TO NOT SAY, “THANK GOD I AM NOT LIKE THE REST OF MEN”. THE PHARISEE'S SIN IS NOT THAT HE IS BRAGGING OR SHOWING OFF. HIS SIN IS THAT HE IS NOT LOOKING AT HOW FAR HE HAS TO GO. THE TAX COLLECTOR MIGHT KNOW HE IS IN A HOLE HE CAN NEVER DIG OUT OF, BUT HIS EYES ARE FIXED ON WHAT IS STILL NEEDED IN HIS OWN LIFE. JESUS SAID, “BE PERFECT AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS PERFECT.” THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO PRAY ABOUT, THAT'S THE COMPARISON WE NEED TO MAKE WHEN WE ARE AT PRAYER. SAINT PAUL TOLD HIS FOLLOWERS TO BE IMITATORS OF HIM. THAT SOUNDS LIKE BRAGGING, BUT SAINT PAUL GOES ON TO SAY “AS I AM AN IMITATOR OF CHRIST.” HE KNEW HE STILL HAD A LONG WAY TO GO, BUT HE ALSO KNEW THAT HE WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE TO HIS NEW CONVERTS.

SO LIVE LIKE THE PHARISEE, KEEPING ALL THE COMMANDMENTS TO THE LETTER; TITHE AND FAST AND KEEP ON STRIVING TO BE BETTER TOMORROW THAN YOU WERE TODAY. AND EACH DAY FOCUS ON WHAT STILL STANDS IN THE WAY OF YOU AND PERFECTION. IF YOU ARE ANYTHING LIKE ANY OF THE SAINTS YOU KNOW YOU WON'T REACH PERFECTION IN THIS LIFE; BUT WORKING TOWARDS PERFECTION IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. AND WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED TO COMPARE YOURSELF TO SOMEONE ELSE, COMPARE YOURSELF INSTEAD TO WHAT YOU COULD BE IF YOUR REALLY WORKED AT IT. AND THEN CALL OUT FOR GOD'S MERCY, BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY HOPE YOU AND I HAVE.