A Pharisee and a tax collector

a verse or two - Luke 18:9-14

[Jesus] told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 'Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. 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. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income."

'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!" 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.'

Spiritual Walk and Musings: A Pharisee and a tax collector:

The problem with this story is that as soon as we hear that it is about a Pharisee we know that he is going to come out of it badly. Pharisees always do in Bible stories. Take a moment to appreciate the shock that Jesus' original audience must have felt on being told that a tax collector, treacherously collaborating with the occupying Roman government, was more acceptable to God than a religious celebrity. And then spare a thought for the Pharisee - think about going without water for a day in the dust of Jerusalem whilst praying for the nation, and then imagine yourself doing it regularly twice a week. 

The change of culture between Jesus' time and now tempts us to fall prey to exactly the same kind of self-righteousness. You can imagine a preacher finishing a rousing sermon about this parable by praying, 'God, we thank you that we are not like that proud Pharisee!' The fact is that the truth about us comes out when we are praying. Not when we are praying aloud for others to hear (when one is always aware of the reactions of the human audience as well), but when we are alone with God. 

That is when he listens to urgent, real, sincere prayer with a compassionate ear. But he will listen to proud or hypocritical prayer with a forgiving ear as well - that is the extent of how gracious God is. Why not, like the tax collector; go and stand in a place where you are quite alone, bow your head, put your hands on your chest, and tell God the truth about how you are feeling. [from www.surefish.co.uk]

To Pray and Ponder: A prayer by St Thomas More (1478 - 1535)

“Give me, good Lord, an humble, lowly, quiet, peaceable, patient, charitable, kind and tender mind - every shade, in fact, of charity, with all my words and all my works and all my thoughts, to have a taste of thy holy blessed Spirit.”