Scripture/Sermon of the Day

9 Jesus told this parable to certain people who had convinced themselves that they were righteous and who looked on everyone else with disgust: 10 “Two people went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself with these words, ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like everyone else—crooks, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week. I give a tenth of everything I receive.’ 13 But the tax collector stood at a distance. He wouldn’t even lift his eyes to look toward heaven. Rather, he struck his chest and said, ‘God, show mercy to me, a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this person went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. All who lift themselves up will be brought low, and those who make themselves low will be lifted up.”

I. Notice in the first verse of our reading today — Jesus told this parable to a gathering of people which included Pharisees. Can you imagine being a Pharisee and having Jesus insult you like that in front of a crowd of people?

In this gospel we’re reading from today — Luke’s gospel — among the first things Jesus did after he was baptized and then tempted by the devil — in chapter 4 — was to preach a sermon in Nazareth. It turned out to be a catastrophe and almost resulted in his death as the congregation tried to push him off a cliff. This is how Jesus’ ministry started!

III. Last week we heard another of his stories about prayer — when the widow kept knocking on the bad judge’s door — until he opened it and gave her the justice she wanted. Actually — that story is a little misleading because it gives the impression that God gives us what we ask for. I think the point of the story is that God helps us, but often not in the way we want.

VI. There two men praying in today’s story. But the religious person is really just making a statement — a claim — to God. It’s a one-way statement — not a conversation. He says thank you for not making me like other people — most of whom are losers and inferior to me. Thank you for making me superior to other people.

VII. Jesus wants us to have the attitude of the tax collector and keep our spiritual focus on ourselves and resist the temptation to feel better by bringing other people down. This is hard to do in our society where name-calling and bullying has become normalized. At the end of this chapter is a blind beggar also begs Jesus for mercy. That, says Luke, is how to pray.

A monk had committed a fault and the elders asked the holy man, Abbot Moses, to help them determine the punishment appropriate for this monk. So they sent for him. Abbot Moses did not want to come. They continued to ask for him until he said he would come.

He took with him an old basket that had holes in it. He filled it with sand and carried it behind him. The elders came out to meet him and said, “What are you doing, Father?” He said,