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1.Sirach
35:15-17,20-22
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2. Timothy 4:
6-8,16-18
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Gospel: Luke
18: 9-14
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"The secret behind good worship"
A certain president
happened to visit a prison and thus talked with each of the inmates. There were
endless tales of innocence, of misunderstood motives, and of exploitation.
Finally the president stopped at the cell of a convict who remained silent.
" well," remarked president, " I really suppose you are an
innocent victim too?" " No Sir, I' am not," replied the inmate.
" I am guilty and deserve my punishment." Turning to the warden the
president said, "Here, release this rascal before he corrupts all these
fine, innocent people here!" The
biblical saying proves true, " God opposes the proud, but gives grace to
the humble." ( 1Pet 5:5).
Dear friends in Christ,
today's gospel is one to which every believer needs to pay close attention. It
is the story of two believers, a Pharisee and a tax collector. It should be
noted that both men were believers in the same God, both belonged to the same
religion and both worshipped in the same temple. Both men were active believers
who participated in the temple worship and said their daily prayers but what do
we see? At the end of the worship one of them went home at peace with God
however, the other did not. Being all believers in God, we need to pay
attention to this story not only to learn the secret of offering a worship
acceptable to God but also of leading a life of faith that leads to
justification and not disappointment at the end of the day.
The parable we have
heard from the gospel will help us to understand different positions of the two
men who were in the temple praying. By beginning with a Pharisee. The Pharisees
were in fact, very disciplined and devout men of religion. Pharisees were
serious-minded believers who had committed themselves to a life of regular
prayer and observance of God's law. They really went beyond the requirement of
the law. They fasted twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays, even though the law
the law only required people to fast once a year, that is on the day of atonement.
They gave tithes of all their income and just of the required parts. When the Pharisee
in the parable said, " I am not like other people: thieves,
rogues, adulterers or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give
a tenth of all my income" (Lk 18: 11-12) really he wasn't kidding.
Indeed few Christians today can measure up to the visible moral standards of
the Pharisees.
The tax collectors, on
the other hand were generally regarded as people of low moral standards. Since
they worked for the Pagan Romans, mixed up with them and constantly handled
their unclean money, it is under this background tax collectors were said to be
in a state of ritual uncleanliness. As far as the religion of the day was
concerned tax collectors were regarded as the public sinners of the highest
order, moreover the sinners on the highway to hell. Nevertheless, the tax
collectors recognized that the voice of people always is not the voice of God.
They still hoped for salvation not the merit of any religious or moral
achievements of theirs but on the gracious
mercy of God.
Believing in God does
not really save anybody. James really tells us that the devil himself believes
in God and trembles with fear ( James2:19). Here what really matters is what
people believe about God and how their faith in God affects their view of
themselves and of others. The problem with the Pharisees was the fact that,
they believed in God who could discriminate people, who could punish His
offenders and God who loves good people and hate bad people. Thus people behave
like God they believe in. It is under this background that the Pharisees contempt
at people whom they conceived to be sinners like the tax collectors,
prostitutes and so forth. On the other hand the tax collector trusted not in
himself or in anything he had done but only in God's mercy. Standing far off,
he would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and prayed, " God
be merciful to me, a sinner!" ( v.13) This is the man who went home at
peace with God and not the self-righteous Pharisee.
Like the Pharisee and
the tax collector we too have come to God's house to offer worship and prayers.
Like them we too hope to go home at the end of this service reconciled at peace
with God. Then let us learn from the tax collector the secret of
worshipping in a manner that is
acceptable to God. First and foremost, we should not listen to other people or
even to our own consciences when they tell us that God is so angry with us that
He cannot possible forgive us. Secondly, we must acknowledge our sinfulness and
entrust ourselves to generous mercy of God which is bigger than any sins we
have committed. Finally we promise God never to look down on our fellow sinners but to help them
in their search for God, just as the tax collector is helping today in our
search for God. Bear in mind that God always opposes the proud, but gives grace
to the humble.
Finally I would like to
provide you with example in areas where people lack humility. First, let us
start with children and teenagers. How many boast of how smart they are in
school? Many because they boast of their academic successes, put down the other
children and teens, consequently destroying their self-confidence. Second, then
we have those cooks who boast that they are better cooks than anyone else.
While it cannot be denied that there are those who are good cooks, everybody
can't be a best cook! As you can see humility can even be practiced in the
kitchen. Third, there are those who
boast that they are holier than others because they perform so many hours of
adoration per month or say so many rosaries, and attend Masses. While these
pious devotions are commendable, by boasting of them, one becomes no different
than the Pharisees.
In our daily lives by
placing ourselves above all others, we are calling upon ourselves the Lord's judgment.
The end result will be that we will be among
the last. It is better to practice daily humility in our lives,
praising and encouraging others. Then
the Lord God shall exalt us because of our genuine humility.
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