Wednesday, November 14, 2001
Wednesday, November 14, 2001
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!"
Yet when Jesus tells this story the tax-collector comes off as the hero. It begins with the
Pharisee
praying his famous prayer, "God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners,
unjust,
adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I
get."
But listen to the prayer of the tax-collector. Standing far off, he would not even lift up
his eyes to
heaven, but beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me a sinner." I can almost see
him, can't
you? No illusions. No pretense. He knows what he is and what he has done. He is so
ashamed
that he cannot even look toward heaven. His prayer is an honest one, and he is the
kind of person
Jesus is most proud of.
(Luke 18:13
NRSV)
Jesus continually shocks us. "Two men went up to pray," he said on one occasion, "a
Pharisee
and a tax-collector." Now the audience was suppose to hiss and boo when the
tax-collector's title
was given. The IRS is not too popular with us, but at least most of the men and women
who work
there are honorable. Not so with the tax-collectors in Jesus' day. They were worse than
scoundrels. They collaborated with the enemy--the government of Rome. They worked
on
commission. The more they could gouge out of their clients, the more they could pocket
for
themselves. Pharisees get a bad press in the New Testament, but there were some
fine, caring
Pharisees.
Dear God, may all of my prayers be honest ones that come from my heart. Thank you
for listening
to them too! Amen.
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