Prayer of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
My dear friends, the liturgy of last Sunday exhorted us on the need to persistently pray with faith and good intention. And in response to that, two men in Jesus’ parable of today’s gospel, the Pharisee and the tax collector went up to the temple to pray. The pharisee prayed badly with pride while the tax collector humbly approached the Lord, acknowledged his sinfulness, and pleaded for mercy. He went home at peace with the Lord more than the other.
The Pride of the Pharisee
The prayer of the Pharisee was the kind of prayer most of us, including myself often say. He first prayed with pride and counted his good deeds to the Lord when he said: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like the other men…I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get’ (Lk 18:12). He placed himself above other men and women and took the credit that should be given to God. He praised himself instead of praising God. And that is exactly what some of us do knowingly or unknowingly when praying. Some people demonstrate this more when going to confession. Instead of confessing their sins, they count their good deeds thus: I have not stolen, I have not been unjust to others, I say my rosary daily, I go to mass every Sunday and I say my daily prayers etc. This is pharisaic type of prayer and confession. It is wrong to take glory of our good deeds. Rather, we should humbly thank God for giving us the grace to accomplish them. Pride is a huge vice, and it goes before a fall. The Scripture makes it clear that ‘the Lord detests all the proud of heart’ (Proverbs 16:5) and anyone who exalts himself will be humbled and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted (Lk 14:11).
Being Judgmental
Another wrong thing with the prayer of the Pharisee was that he judged his neighbours especially the tax collector. He said: ‘I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector’ (Lk 18:11). That was unfair judgement to others and more to the tax collector. It contradicted the Lord’s command: ‘do not judge, so that you may not be judged (Mat 7: 1).
The Pharisee failed woefully in this regard as most of us often do. We are sometimes judgemental of others. We often think that we are better than others. But most times we are not better as we think. There is no yardstick of measuring holiness. It is not for us to determine, only God knows the truth about everyone. It is totally wrong therefore to judge another. It is a huge challenge we need to deal with and gradually put a stop to it.
The Humble Prayer of the Tax Collector
While the Pharisee was counting his good deeds before the Lord, the tax collector was ashamed of his evil deeds and was pleading for mercy. ‘He stood far off, and would not lift his eyes to heaven, beating his breast saying: God be merciful to me a sinner!’ (Lk 18:13). He never pretended about it. He was sincere and honest that he was a sinner. He admitted it and pleaded for forgiveness. His humility was equal to none. He therefore went home at peace with God.
The psalmist puts it well when it says: The poor man indeed called, and the Lord heard him (Psalm 34:6). His prayer was answered. No wonder the scripture says: ‘he whose service is pleasing to the Lord will be accepted, and his prayer will reach to the clouds. The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds as he will not be consoled until it reaches the Lord’ (Sirach 35: 16-18).
In other words, humility is the key in praying to the Lord and in our services to God and humanity. Hence St James admonishes: ‘humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord and he will exalt you’ (James 4:10). We are called to reject the pharisaic lifestyle that is rooted in pride and replace it with the virtue humility that pleases the Lord.
Peace be with you!
[Readings: Sir 35:12-14, 16-18; 2 Tm 4:6-8, 16-18; Lk 18:9-14]
