The Gospel for Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Luke 18:9-14
He spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being upright and despised everyone else, ‘Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, “I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like everyone else, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get.” The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” This man, I tell you, went home again justified; the other did not. For everyone who raises himself up will be humbled, but anyone who humbles himself will be raised up.’ -- The New Jerusalem Bible. 1995, c1985. Doubleday: Garden City, N.Y.
A Study
Let's get one thing straight: the Pharisees were not bad people. They took their religion very seriously but were not all "despis[ing] everyone else." And, unfortunately, most tax collectors were bad people, defrauding people and raking a significant portion off the top of their take, for their own.
But in this parable, Jesus describes this Pharisee as isolating himself from humanity by looking down his nose at the tax collector and other sinners, and he describes the tax collector as one who is ready to receive God's grace. To those listening to the parable, Jesus had just turned reality upside down. The Pharisee acts as if he does not need God's grace. This Pharisee kept all the rules of the Pharisaic sect -- and even over-achieved. But Jesus was about salvation, not about rules. Jesus emphasized the ultimate importance of the of two-way relationship between God and humans and healthy loving relationships among humans.
Micah's reminder, "... and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" is underscored yet again. YHWH wants our hearts, not our burnt offerings.
A Reflection
Today is Ash Wednesday in the Calendar of most Christian Churches, the first day of Lent. Some Christians mark the day by having ashes imposed on their foreheads as an outward sign of their innate sinfulness and their inward intent to repent. Ashes (and sackcloth clothing) are frequently mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as signs of grief, mortification, and repentance.
Humility, rather, as a lifestyle, is recommended to us by Jesus. It is recommended to us by his words, as in today's gospel reading. It is recommended to us by his actions throughout the accounts of his life -- from his birth in a cattle barn to his death between two ordinary criminals. And everywhere in between.
His advice, to render unto Caesar, to turn the other cheek, to obey rulers, always is shot through with humility. His commandments and imperatives involve love and remembrance. He tells us that when we have shown kindness to the least among us, we have shown it to Him.
What part of this Christian instruction do we not understand? Which parts are optional? We can never repay Him for his gift to us on Calvary. Can we not at least show Him we are listening?
Mark Twain told us that "thunder is impressive, but it's lightning that does the work." What are we saying when we wear the ashes but don't follow through by living in humility?
6:01:23 AM 
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