Today's gospel parable of Pharisee and tax collector is very relevant in today's world. It's not something that happened 2000 years ago. It's something that still happening today. We see so many people holding on to religious beliefs, traditions and faith without loving one another. In worst case, we see terrorists killing people in the name of God and religion. These kind of people believe that thy are righteous in the eyes of God and believe that they follow right religion.
Pharisee in the parable is one of them, he believed, he is not like the rest of humanity. He thought he is following right religion he says of himself, He is not — greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector. He even compares himself with others. He continues, he fasted twice a week, and he payed tithes on his whole income.’ According religious practices he is a good practitioner but he lacked love for others and his life was centered around himself. He lacked love, mercy and compassion for others. He was self praising to God.
Once I was in India with Bellarmine students and we visited a Jesuit Ashram and one of the teachers there told us, religion without love and compassion is terrorism. That was an aha moment for many.
We may find people like this Pharisee in work places, parishes, religious life. They are full of themselves, despise others saying sentences like, I am the only one who hard work here, I am the only one knows things better. My prayer life is better than you. My poverty is better than you. My religious practices are better than you. They are full of themselves and they forget others and to be kind to others. And not only that they are constantly judging others. Jesus asks us Catholics not to be like this Pharisee being full of oneself and judging others.
I might have shared this story I like to share it once again. Lady and 7th station of the cross. What she does is the good practice of the religion but that didn't turn her to love others.
In the second story, Jesus shows us the tax collector, he is bad man in the society, he cheated his own people collecting money for Rome. But this tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ Jesus says he went home justified. This is one thing important in religion and faith humbling yourself. Humility is beginning quality to understand God and others.
Dear brothers and sisters, this parable of Pharisee and tax collector teaches us that the entire point of religion is to make us humble before God and to open us to the path of love and compassion.
Liturgy, prayer, the precepts of the Church, the commandments, sacraments, sacramental—all of it—are finally meant to conform us to the way of love.
I am giving you two questions for your thoughts and reflection.
- How often we use knowledge and practices of religion to put others down?
- Does my practices of religion turn in to loving and not judging others?
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