In today’s Gospel (Luke 18:9-14), there are two attitudes regarding our basic convictions about God and towards others. I will reflect on those two attitudes.
The attitude of the Pharisee: The Pharisee begins by giving thanks to God. This is certainly commendable. However, the reason for his thanksgiving is that he does not consider himself like other men. He does not really speak of himself in his prayer but of others whom he considers as thieves, unjust, adulterers. As if that was not enough, he also judges the one next to him in the temple, the tax collector. After accusing others, he enumerates his religious practices: He fasts twice a week and pays one tenth of what he earns as tithe. In the end, the Pharisee is not declared righteous by Jesus. Why didn’t Jesus declare the Pharisee righteous despite all his fasting and charity works?
I think the answer is in the last sentence of today’s Gospel. In it, the Lord says: “He that exalts himself shall be humbled; he that humbles himself shall be exalted”. Jesus shows us that when we are in prayer before God, we should avoid self-praise and judging others. Otherwise, we will not be justified and our prayers will not be answered.
Furthermore, Jesus makes us understand that to be righteous and holy is a gift that God offers to humble hearts. We cannot attain perfection by despising others, whether in words or deeds. Fasting, praying and almsgiving are three important aspects of the Lenten experience. Jesus tells us today that it is not enough to practice these three pillars of religious practices. Instead, our fasting, prayers and almsgiving should bring us closer to others, make us more merciful towards them and humbler before God. The question then for us is: Do we have benevolent and compassionate attitude towards others, especially those considered by many as sinners in our society?
The attitude of the tax collector. Jesus tells us that “the tax collector stood at a distance and did not even dare to look up to heaven”. This tax collector is aware of his sinful condition and humbly stands before God. He beats his chest saying: “My God, have mercy on me as a sinner”. At the end, he went home justified, saved. Jesus is teaching us here that true humility obtains us many graces. Let us remember the words of the Roman centurion to Jesus: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof but say a word and my servant will be healed” (Matthew 8:8). Prayers that spring from the depths of our hearts go straight to God’s heart. Through the prayer of the tax collector, we realise that without God’s mercy we cannot be righteous and saved. 1 Peter 5:5 tells us that humility should be our constant garment because God opposes the proud but accords his favour to the humble.
As we continue the journey towards Easter, Jesus invites us to learn from the attitude of the tax collector. Our religious practices should transform us from within and make us humble before God and merciful towards others. Let us remember this other word of Jesus: “It is mercy that I want, not sacrifice” (Matthew 9: 13).
Therefore, holiness is not simply the sum of our good works, but the fruit of a heart that is constantly open to God in an attitude of faith and humility. May Christ’s teaching today be our watchword, the light to guide us in our earthly journey. Amen.
[Readings: Hos 6:1-6; Lk 18:9-14]
