Luke 18:9-14
In the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Jesus is talking to a group of people who see themselves as righteous. Not only are these people full of pride, they are also disdainful of other people who, in their judgement, are not as good as them. So Jesus tells them a story about two men who have gone to the temple to pray. One man, a Pharisee, seems to be just like them. The other man, a tax collector, is not at all like them. As a tax collector, he is reviled by his fellow Jews as a traitor who collaborates with the Roman oppressors. In the parable Jesus tells, the Pharisee smugly recounts his good works to God, confident of the divine blessing to come. It’s more like a boast than a prayer. But the tax collector humbly beats his breast in remorse for his sinfulness and begs for God’s mercy. Jesus tells the group that God bestowed his blessing on the humble tax collector but not on the arrogant do-gooder.
When I hear or read this parable, my impulse is to tell myself, “I’m glad I’m not like the Pharisee.” That’s how easy it is to slip into arrogance and self-righteousness and how difficult simple humility can be. I like to think of myself as a humble person. But people close to me tell me that I always think that I’m right and that, they say, isn’t humble. My response? “I usually am right!” I know – arrogance again.
So what is true humility and how is it achieved? The dictionary defines humility rather negatively: “a modest or low view of one’s own importance.” That doesn’t sound quite right to me. I believe being humble means that you take your focus off yourself and place it onto other people. But the season of Lent, however, is a good time to place a magnifying glass on ourselves to find the arrogance that we hide from ourselves – but which is all too obvious to other people. During Lenten reflection and prayer, we can unearth the ways we have strayed from the way of Christ and find the path back to a deeper connection with others and with God, letting go of arrogance, disdain, prejudice, and other character flaws.
When we are humble, we set aside judgement and accept people – and ourselves – as a part of the whole of God’s fabric. All different. All valued. All equal. I think a good recipe for achieving humility is found in Matthew 7:1-3 when Jesus admonishes Simon, “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgement you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?”
And how do we avoid judgementalism? That answer is in Colossians 3:12-13: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” God wants us to be kind to one another. God wants us to love one another. God wants us to love and honor God. And when we are humble, kind and loving to all and to God, God exalts us. “And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone …” Galatians 6:9-10
In loving and being good to others, we can avoid the danger of trusting in ourselves and we can become like the tax collector who was blessed because he trusted in the mercy of God. “…for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:14
Meditation by Canon Karen Moore
Senior Warden, Grace Episcopal Church, Plainfield
Diocese of New Jersey