~~~Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time~~~
~~~Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18~~~Psalm 34~~~2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18~~~Luke 18:9-14~~~
Two men went up to the temple to pray.
A Pharisee and a tax collector.
The Pharisee immediately begins telling God what great person he was...
thanking God that he was not like most other sinners.
Somehow he has labeled himself as better, superior.
He elaborates on the sins he perceives others to be guilty of committing...
greed, dishonesty, adultery...or even like this tax collector.
Without even really knowing the other man
he judges himself to be better.
He is plagued with his own self wonderment.
He waits no time in informing God of what he does;
to make himself worthy of being labeled a 'better' person.
I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.
As you have already figured out God is not impressed.
He is never impressed when we are boastful for our own indulgence.
A Pharisee and a tax collector.
The Pharisee immediately begins telling God what great person he was...
thanking God that he was not like most other sinners.
Somehow he has labeled himself as better, superior.
He elaborates on the sins he perceives others to be guilty of committing...
greed, dishonesty, adultery...or even like this tax collector.
Without even really knowing the other man
he judges himself to be better.
He is plagued with his own self wonderment.
He waits no time in informing God of what he does;
to make himself worthy of being labeled a 'better' person.
I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.
As you have already figured out God is not impressed.
He is never impressed when we are boastful for our own indulgence.
The tax collector presents a very different picture.
...the 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.'
...the 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 often does give us two views of the same situation.
Notice we are told where the tax collector is standing.
He stands off at a distance...oops does that mean
I should not sit in the front of church anymore? I hope not.
He stands off at a distance...oops does that mean
I should not sit in the front of church anymore? I hope not.
The tax collector is humbly approaching God in prayer.
The tax collector is admitting his sinfulness.
The tax collector is being honest with himself; he asks for
God to be merciful.
The tax collector is admitting his sinfulness.
The tax collector is being honest with himself; he asks for
God to be merciful.
He wants God to know that he is repentant for his sins against God.
These two men both come up to the temple,
but with two very different attitudes.
These two men both come up to the temple,
but with two very different attitudes.
One comes to brag on himself
the other comes with full disclosure of his sins.
the other comes with full disclosure of his sins.
Usually when we start to brag about ourselves
we are headed for trouble.
we are headed for trouble.
Have you heard the saying...
except for the grace of God, there go I?
That is not bragging because it is giving God the credit
for all things good in your life.
except for the grace of God, there go I?
That is not bragging because it is giving God the credit
for all things good in your life.
It is only because of the grace of God that we can
come before him in repentance.
come before him in repentance.
Blessings come from approaching
God with humble honesty.
We do not need to impress God with our goodness
at the expense of others.
at the expense of others.
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