Sunday, October 23, 2022

Proper 25

Luke 18:9-14 

The Rev. Francene Young

In a commentary by the Rev. Dr. David Lose, he states that

Paul Tillich, who commented on the Apostle Paul’s assertion that the gospel is a stumbling block, once said that the danger is stumbling over the wrong thing.

STUMBLING OVER THE WRONG THING. What is the wrong thing?

Lose goes on to say that …

There is something similar occurring in today’s reading, so we should take care in our interpretation.

 It’s difficult to avoid interpreting this parable in straightforward, simplistic terms, mostly because the outcome of this parable is so predictable even to those with only limited knowledge of the story of Jesus’ life.

 Knowing that Pharisees are regularly cast in the gospels in opposition to Jesus, we all too easily judge the Pharisee to be a self-righteous hypocrite and assume that the moral of this story is to be humble.

Based on such a quick interpretation is that I might as well  preach that, “Lord, we thank you that we are not like other people: hypocrites, overly pious, self-righteous, or even like that Pharisee.”

 We come to church each week, listen attentively to Scripture, and we have learned that we should always be humble.”  With this parable, we risk falling into the trap of condemning the Pharisee by saying or thinking… “Thank God I am not like the Pharisee,” therefore placing ourselves above him which the parable itself seems to condemn.

Lose reminds us that everything the Pharisee says is true. He has set himself apart from others by his faithful adherence to the laws of is time.

So, before we judge him too quickly, we might reframe his prayer slightly and wonder if we have said similar things ourselves.

 Maybe we haven’t said, “Lord, I thank you that I am not like other people…”, but what about, “There but for the grace of God go I”?  I know I have said it and said it out loud with a tone of Thanksgiving and not empathy.

 It isn’t that the Pharisee is speaking falsely, but rather that the Pharisee misses the true nature of his blessing. As Luke states in his introductory sentence, he has trusted in himself. His prayer of gratitude may be spoken to the Lord, but it is really about himself. He credits his righteousness entirely in his own actions and being.

The tax collector, on the other hand, knows that he possesses no means by which to claim righteousness. He has done nothing of merit; indeed, he has done a lot to offend the law of Israel. For this reason, he stands back, hardly daring to approach the Temple, and throws himself on the mercy of the Lord.

 Here is the main contrast between the two: One makes a claim to righteousness based on his own accomplishments, while the other relies entirely upon the Lord’s mercy.  

 Rather than be grateful for his blessings, the Pharisee appears smug to the point of despising others. In his mind there are two kinds of people: the righteous and the immoral, and he is grateful that he has placed himself among the righteous.

The tax collector, on the other hand, stakes his hopes and claims not on anything he has done or deserved but entirely on the mercy of God. This is what makes this parable so hard to preach.

It is what makes this parable a potential trap. For as soon as we fall prey to the temptation to divide humanity into any kind of groups, we have aligned ourselves squarely with the Pharisee. Whether our division is between righteous and sinners,

as with the Pharisee, or even between the self-righteous and the humble, as with Luke, we are doomed.

 Anytime we draw a line between who’s “in” and who’s “out,” “who’s right ad who’s wrong” we are likely to find God on the other side of our argument.

After reading Lose’s commentary, I want to offer another interpretation…that this parable is not solely about self-righteousness and humility or about a pious Pharisee and desperate tax collector. Rather, this parable is about God: God who alone judges. God who determines to justify the ones who we have deemed ungodly.

I am sure we have all done it and I am confessing mine.

I am sure you have heard the news story of the missing two year old girl, Nadia Lee.  I met Nadia. Nadia was with a foster parent for a year.  I met Nadia’s foster mom who is white.  She is a Pilates trainer at the facility where I work out.  On September 3rd, at the invitation of her foster mom, I visited Nadia and her foster mom to give advice on how to care for Nadia’s hair. Nadia is black. 

When I arrived, Nadia was running around the apartment not talking but pointing to her toys and bringing me her stuffed animals to hold.  Nadia finally settled a bit so I could comb her hair…And now she is missing.  Her father who had not seen her in a year returned to the foster placement facility requesting his daughter, the foster mom had to give her back.  Now she is missing and “foul” play is expected. 

Lower than a tax collector for me is a person who would harm a child.  Then I read this parable.  Believe me, it is hard not to judge!

But I am reminded that this parable is about God: God who alone can judge; God who determines to justify the who we have deemed ungodly. 

Eventually, this father, who killed his common law wife, may be judged in our secular court of law, but it is God who makes the final judgement. 

To not sit in the judgement seat and condemn him and thank God I am not like this father, it a very tall order.  But I have to keep telling myself that God is the judge.  God justifies and makes righteous; not me; not you.

As I wrote this, I was reminded of a verse in Paul’s letter to the Romans that is also part of our church’s Liturgy for the dead, which reads:

“Romans 8:38-39 For I am certain that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  and I add not our wealth, or our sins will be able to separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

At the end of today’s parable, the Pharisee will leave the Temple and return to his home righteous. This hasn’t changed; he was righteous when he came up and righteous as he goes back down.

The tax collector, however, will leave the Temple and go back down to his home justified, that is, accounted righteous by the Holy One of Israel. How has this happened? Recall, the tax collector makes neither confesses his sins or not does he promise not to sin again, so on what basis, then, is he named as righteous? He is called “justified” based solely on God’s divine mercy and forgiveness that is offered to all of us.  I believe the mercy and forgiveness will be offered to Nadia’s father despite my human desire to feel righteous over him.   AMEN