Parable

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Parable

Pharisee     Tax Collector

Prayer     Exalting     Humbling

Have Mercy On Me

Justification

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Jesus directed this parable at people who were sure that they were right and looked down on everyone else.

"Two people were going to pray at the Temple. One was a Pharisee and the second was a tax collector.

The Pharisee prayed in this way: 'O God I thank you that I am not like all the other people. They are liars, adulterers, and greedy people. They are just like this tax collector. I fast frequently, and I pay tithes on my entire income.'

The tax collector stood off in the distance. He kept his eyes down and beat his chest. He prayed, 'O God, please show mercy on me. I am a sinner.'

It was the tax collector who went home justified, not the Pharisee. If you exalt yourself, you will be humbled. If you humble yourself, you will be exalted."

Reflection

Humility.

It is a challenging virtue.

Jesus admires the honesty of the tax collector who was very direct in asking for God's mercy. 

Tax collectors were looked down upon in the time of Jesus. Many became wealthy and used harsh tactics to collect the taxes for the Roman Empire.

They were hated by the people. It was easy to look down upon them.

I am sure that those who heard this parable were not happy with Jesus. The Pharisees were respected. They led the people in the renewal of their faith. 

How could Jesus possibly exalt the tax collector over the Pharisee in His parable? 

Jesus is stressing the importance of being totally honest with God. 

The tax collector turns to God for mercy. The Pharisee is telling God how good he is.

It can certainly be true that the Pharisee does all those religious practices. He might fast frequently and give tithes. Those are good practices.

The Pharisee in this parable, though, becomes very judgmental. He is telling God how much better he is than everyone else. He is exalting himself.

The prayer of the tax collector is a simple one. He admits that he is a sinner and asks for mercy. 

Jesus is telling us that God's mercy is there for all of us. All we have to do is ask for it honestly.

It is God's mercy that exalts us and fill us with Peace.

1. Do you relate more to the Pharisee or to the tax collector in this parable?

2. How would you define humility?

3. How do you try to overcome the tendency we all have to be judgmental?

4. What does Kathy's photo say to you?