THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
What is truth? We hear Pontius Pilate ask Jesus that question as Jesus stands before him in judgment. And Jesus answers by dying on the cross, demonstrating a very dramatic and fundamental truth of our faith: God loves us so much that he would send his Son to die for us.
In today’s gospel, we hear a Pharisee and a tax collector both stand before God, each expressing his own truth. On one level, the Pharisee is correct in his self-analysis. By all the standards of Jewish Law, he is a good and faithful Jew. Yet his relationship with God seems to be based on a rather childish notion of reward and punishment. His prayer sounds more like a monologue than a heartfelt encounter with God. Notice how the gospel speaks of him praying to himself. The center of his life is his ego – not his God! Even his comparison with the tax collector is geared to bolster his sense of superiority. He has failed to understand the most basic law of Judaism: You shall love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with all your strength, and your neighbor as yourself.
The tax collector, on the other hand, is very aware of his truth. He is a sinner in the eyes of others and even in his own estimation. As you know, his job is to collect taxes from his fellow Jews for the benefit of the oppressive Roman Empire. Most of his fellow Jews see him as a thief and a collaborator with the enemy. He acknowledges his sinfulness, standing at a distance, afraid to raise his eyes to heaven, and admitting that he, a sinner, is in need of God’s mercy. His prayer stands in marked contrast with the self-centered air of superiority of the Pharisee. He says with great humility: “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”
The tax collector recognizes the fundamental truth that we cannot earn our way to heaven. We are all sinners and we depend totally on God’s free gift of his love and his mercy. God owes us nothing, yet he gives us everything. No matter how successful we are in this life, when it comes to eternal life, we depend totally on God. St. Paul the Apostle learned this early on and came to an even deeper understanding as he grew older. As we heard in today’s second reading, he knew that everything – including his achievements – came from God. And, he admitted, “The Lord stood by me and gave me strength.” And, with that strength, he became the great evangelizer of the Gentiles, using all of his energy for the building of God’s kingdom in all of the then-known world and even to the Romans who guarded over him while he was imprisoned, awaiting his trial which would inevitably lead to his death at their hands.
We delude ourselves when we think that we can save ourselves or enter into eternal life through our own actions. Instead, we must face the truth of our human weakness and in that moment of honesty make room for God in our lives. This is the real truth that will set us free! God, in his gracious love and generous mercy, is always quick to hear our prayer for His mercy and eager to welcome us into his loving embrace. Jesus, who is the way, the truth and the life, teaches us this truth so clearly today. Let us listen and heed his saving word. And, like Paul, let us gratefully use all of our energy to build up his kingdom right here in our midst. That is the truth that will lead us to be among the exalted ones in heaven! Amen! Amen!