The Pharisee and Tax Collector

The Pharisee and Tax Collector

Lk 18: 9 – 14

30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Introduction

Today’s reading is a parable about a certain Pharisee and a tax collector who both went into the temple to pray. When both had finished praying, we hear Jesus telling us that it was the tax collector who went home justified.

The Gospel

⁹ He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ ¹³ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Reflection

This is a parable with an unexpected ending. On one hand, we see a Pharisee who had gone up to the temple to pray. As he prayed, he thanked God for what he has become; that he was not a thief, not dishonest, not an adulterer and not like the tax collector who was there beside him. He even thanked God for making him fulfill what the law prescribed particularly his fasting and tithes. There is, however, a phrase in his prayer that remains striking and which somehow summarized everything he had said to the Lord; he said: “ I am not like other people.” Certainly, he was righteous as he obeyed the teachings of the Law.

On the other hand, there was this tax collector who also had gone up to the temple to pray. Obviously, he felt some uneasiness. He stood far off from the altar, unable even to lift his eyes toward heaven perhaps because of shame or some deep remorse over something he has done terribly wrong. The parable tells us that as he beat his chest, he begged God for mercy, saying : “ God be merciful to me, a sinner.”

Unlike the Pharisee, this tax collector had no good deeds to boast of in front of the Lord; no accomplishments of deeds prescribed by the Law. He had only so much regret and sorrow for the sins he has committed and now he was asking for God’s mercy.

The ending of this parable must have been quite unexpected for those who heard Jesus narrate this parable. The Pharisee who did nothing wrong and did what was right went home unjustified. On the other hand, the tax collector, who by his own admission was a sinner and who asked for God’s mercy, went home justified.

Being justified means, being made right or righteous in the eyes of God. How is it that one who did all the right things went home unjustified, while on the other hand, the other,  who admitted wrong doing and begged for mercy went home justified?

What does this parable tell us?

First, this parable tells us that a humble and contrite heart is something that God will never reject. When we approach the Lord humbly, begging for forgiveness, admitting our mistakes and wrong doing, we are almost certain that we will not be rejected by him. The tax collector approached God in this way and this is perhaps the reason why he went home justified. The Pharisee, on the other hand, while really doing nothing wrong, had an air of superiority as he looked down on people who were not like him. The Pharisee’s famous line: “ I am not like the rest of men” just shows how haughty and proud he was as he compared himself with other people who were less observant of the law. God apparently rejects all forms of pride and arrogance. We do not become good and holy because of our own efforts. It is by God’s grace that we are able to do anything good at all. It is God who inspires us to do what is good and we can never claim ownership even of the good things we do.

Second, it is the Lord who makes us right or justified. It is he who removes our sins and makes us righteous. When Jesus died on the cross, our sins were forgiven. Because of his death, we were made righteous in God’s eyes. God alone can make us righteous and justified. We are not capable of justifying ourselves because the Lord alone sets us right. In this parable it is the humble and contrite heart of a tax collector who was made right by God. In many of St. Paul’s writings, we find that faith puts us right before God. But in this parable, we see that it is humility, it is a contrite and humble heart that puts us right before the Lord. It is God who exalts all who humble themselves and he humbles those who exalt themselves.

Lastly, we have to remember why Jesus said this parable. According to Luke, Jesus said this parable for those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt. We all have this tendency to trust our righteousness and feel proud about how good we are. Unfortunately, we also have this tendency to look at others with contempt, especially those who may not exhibit the same kind of righteousness as we have. This parable tells us plainly that we all have sinned and that we all need God’s mercy. No amount of good deeds can ever erase the fact that we are sinners needing God’s mercy.

In the end, the parable with an unexpected ending is after all a parable that gives us an expected and predictable ending; that those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted. 

Prayer

Dear Lord, this parable mirrors many of us who think highly of themselves. This includes me. Whatever good I’ve done in life, whatever achievements I’ve accomplished in life, the fact still remains that I am a sinner needing your mercy. That’s why, I never should boast of anything, except boast of my own weaknesses and of your kindness and mercy that you have shown in my life. Amen. 

“ Humble yourself before the Lord and he will exalt you. “  - James 4: 10