Luke 18:6-14: a reflection

6The Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says. 7Won’t God avenge his chosen ones who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them? 8I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” 9He also spoke this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others: 10“Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood and prayed by himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men: extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Jesus tells of two men who went up to the temple to pray. One, a Pharisee, stood and thanked God that he was not like other men, listing his own righteousness: I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all I get. The other, a tax collector, stood far off, would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his chest and said, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. And Jesus gives the surprising verdict: it was the tax collector, not the Pharisee, who went home justified. The one who humbly threw himself on God's mercy, not the one who paraded his righteousness, was accepted.

Notice the difference between the two men, and whom God accepted. The Pharisee trusted in his own righteousness, his fasting and tithing, and looked down on others; he came to God confident in himself. The tax collector had nothing to show, and knew it; he came with no plea but mercy, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. And it was he who went home justified. God accepted not the one who trusted his own righteousness, but the one who humbly cast himself on mercy. The way to be accepted by God was not to parade our righteousness, but to own our need and plead for mercy.

That is worth taking to heart, for the Pharisee's way is a constant temptation. We can come to God trusting in our own righteousness, our religious acts, our being better than others; we can parade what we have done and look down on those who have done less. But it was the tax collector, who had nothing to show and simply pleaded for mercy, who went home justified. Do not come to God trusting in your own righteousness, listing your merits and comparing yourself favorably to others; come as the tax collector came, owning your need and casting yourself on God's mercy. The way to be right with God is not to parade our righteousness, but to plead, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Come to God humbly, throwing yourself on his mercy rather than trusting your own goodness, for it is the one who humbles himself and pleads for mercy, not the one who exalts his own righteousness, who goes home justified, as the tax collector did and the Pharisee did not.

Lord, you tell of two men who went up to the temple to pray. One, a Pharisee, thanked you that he was not like other men, listing his own righteousness. The other, a tax collector, stood far off, beat his chest, and said, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. And you gave the surprising verdict: it was the tax collector who went home justified. The one who humbly threw himself on your mercy, not the one who paraded his righteousness, was accepted. Show me the difference between the two men, and whom you accepted. The Pharisee trusted in his own righteousness and looked down on others; he came confident in himself. The tax collector had nothing to show, and knew it; he came with no plea but mercy. And it was he who went home justified. You accepted not the one who trusted his own righteousness, but the one who humbly cast himself on mercy. Take that to my heart, for the Pharisee's way is a constant temptation. I can come to you trusting in my own righteousness, my religious acts, my being better than others; I can parade what I have done and look down on those who have done less. But it was the tax collector, who simply pleaded for mercy, who went home justified. Keep me from coming to you trusting in my own righteousness, listing my merits and comparing myself favorably to others; help me come as the tax collector came, owning my need and casting myself on your mercy. Help me come to you humbly, Lord, pleading, God, be merciful to me, a sinner, rather than trusting my own goodness.