30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time [October 27, 2019] Luke 18:9-14

In Jesus’ time, they were several Jewish religious groups and one of them is the Pharisees. These are the people who love the Lord and devoutly observe the Law of Moses and the traditions of the elders even in their daily lives. Thus, Jewish people regard them as righteous because they are faithful to the Law, and pious because they pray often. Many Pharisees turn to be the caretakers of the local synagogues and zealously teach the Law during Sabbath days. No wonders, the Jewish people offer the Pharisees the best places in the worship places and the parties. The leaders are called the Rabbis or teachers.

In contrast, we have tax collectors. This is the profession that most Jews hate at least for two reasons. Firstly, tax collectors tend to corrupt by demanding more than what is due. Secondly, the tax collectors work for the Roman Empire, a gentile and oppressive nation. This makes them both sinners and unclean.

When Jesus presents these two characters in His parable, His Jewish listeners immediately see that the Pharisee is the good guy and the tax collector is the bad guy. The Temple of Jerusalem consists of several courts, from the Holy of Holies going out to the court of the Gentiles. The Pharisee as a devout and clean Israelite will pray at the inner court of the Temple, closer to the sanctuary. While the tax collector is standing perhaps at the court of the Gentiles, where the unclean people and sinners are allowed to get closer.

However, Jesus once again twists the minds of His listeners. The tax collector comes up as the hero of the story, as God hears his prayers and accepts his sincere repentance.

Before God, we are judged not so much by external appearance and social standing, but primarily by internal disposition, by faith. The Pharisee is full of himself and doing nothing but praying to himself [see verse 11]. How can a person pray to himself? He boastfully compares himself with others and puts down others. This is not a prayer, but rather a litany of self-praise. But, the tax collector in all humility recognizes himself as a sinner and asks nothing but God’s mercy.

Appearances and social standing do not guarantee our holiness, and this has a massive implication in our daily lives. We cannot simply judge that a priest who celebrates the mass, who stands on the sanctuary, is holier than an ordinary man who prays at last pew of the Church. We cannot judge a woman who visits the adoration chapel and recite the rosary every day is holier than a woman who has no time to visit the Church because she has to work hard to feed her children. We cannot judge that a man who is active in the parish is holier than a man who is inside the jail. In the first place, it is not our duty to judge others’ holiness. If we are busy judging others, we are no different from the Pharisee in the story who even prays to himself.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP