Sunday 28 October 2007

Background

Pharisees were scholars of the Jewish Law who had a particularconcern to educate the ordinary people. Jesus is often shownarguing with them about the interpretation of the Law. Taxcollectors were seen as living 'outside the Law' because they werecollaborators with the occupying Roman forces. They were hated, andoften enriched themselves at the expense of poor people.

I often find it useful to enter into the parables of Jesus byimagining myself as one of the characters, but it is difficult todo this today. If I chose to be the Pharisee I would have to facedifficult questions about my attitude to other people, my attitudeof relying on my own goodness and not on the grace of God and facethe justified challenge from Jesus; but if I chose to be the taxcollector, I would have to become more aware of my own sinfulness -never an easy thing to do.

So I will simply be present in the situation, as an observer.

Jesus tells us that the Pharisee 'looked down' on 'thieves, rogues,adulterers, and tax collectors'. Perhaps we would have done thesame, if we, as 'religious' people, felt we, as the chosen ones,were doing all we could to keep to the rules and regulationsrequired by our faith and others were not. We would be moredeserving of God hearing our prayers.

Not so, according to Jesus. The tax collector had realized his needof forgiveness, and had asked humbly for it.

Can you imagine the impact Jesus' parable had on the Phariseespresent? They must have been livid with anger. How about those inthe crowd, for people would have been listening to Jesus? Probablythey would have been amazed, wondering, pondering.

But perhaps some were weeping - the prostitutes and tax collectors,thieves and adulterers who heard that it was possible for them tobe saved, to be forgiven, to be cleansed, to be justified beforeGod. There was hope for them yet. There was a place for them in thekingdom of God, where all are valued.

To Ponder

A challenge faces us: who are the ones we might'look down upon'?

In response, is there anything you can do todayto bring hope to another person?