Reflection on the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sirach 35: 12 Paul to Timothy 4: 6-8, 16-18 Luke 18: 9-14

Luke was a master storyteller. When reading today’s Gospel, remember that the setting for the dialogue was the temple – for some a place of prayer and learning, for others a place of power.

Imagine being at a theater, and two people on stage are having this conversation:

The Pharisee – the star of the show, or so he thinks – is center stage. He thought he was very faithful to the Torah so he gave his listeners all the reasons why he was important. “I fast twice a week and pay tithes on my whole income.” But as the Pharisee spoke, he came across as being very self-righteous. He despised other people who he judged as being unfaithful to the law, and he discriminated against others, especially tax collectors.

The tax collector is standing on stage way off to the side. He knew that nothing more was due him even though he was often judged harshly by his community for giving the Romans what they wanted – more tax money. He said, “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” 

Jesus was listening to both men speak and quickly recognized holiness in the humility of this tax collector.

Now, the audience is confronted with the challenge of the story. How would they understand this play?  As the writer of Sirach tells us, “God has no favorites here.”  But the Pharisee, who is so concerned with keeping the Torah, violates the core commandment of loving one’s neighbor. The tax collector, who people saw as often robbing them of their tax money, becomes the teacher of the Pharisee and the listening community. 

 Jesus uses this parable to teach a lesson: He wanted his followers to return to God in honest prayer, in right temple worship and in justice and compassion. For Jesus, the lesson for everyone present is all about transformation. As He says, “Open your minds to truth. Remember the story of the exile and the teachings of the prophets, be faithful to the Torah, hear my words.”

And the lesson for us today?  Humility is what Jesus wants us to cultivate as we grow in understanding God’s word. You might remember the prayer, “Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like yours.”

Through Jesus, God shows a preference for people who are not so important, with a commitment to raise up the humble and bring low the haughty. Over and over Scripture reminds us to deepen our covenant with God, search out God’s ways. Seek justice and work on behalf of the vulnerable. Understand the importance of humility and your need to pray for it. 

After hearing Jesus’ words, the tax collector went home somewhat justified, but not the Pharisee. He could not hear of God’s mercy and the personal change he must make to follow God’s word because he felt he was so important he did not want to look at his own character. He could not see as God sees.

Jesus has the exit line in the play that we will remember because it lifted up the humble person – the tax collector – and perhaps all of us: “All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

This is the experience of Israel, the message of the prophets and the ministry of Jesus.

Do we have lines in the play? Yes, our closing prayer in the temple are words from the Prophet Micah as he tells us what God expects of us: “God has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8).