Humbling oneself and accepting mercy - June 9
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 40, 54; PM Psalm 51; Deut. 26:1-11; 2 Cor. 8:16-24; Luke 18:9-14
Today’s Reflection
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’ —Luke 18:9-14
Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “Well, I will never do X.” Or feeling kind of superior that you have managed to avoid certain life experiences, and feeling kind of sorry for those who fell into such pitiable circumstances? In our pride or naivete, we reassure ourselves that we, surely, would never, ever do X. And then, fast forward a few months or years or decades down the road and lo and behold you find yourself in that very set of circumstances you thought you would never, ever be in—be it professionally, personally, emotionally, or all the above.
I first wrote the above paragraph two years ago, in the first week in June 2021. As I read the above words with fresh eyes now, in June 2023, I can remember very clearly what I had in mind when I wrote the generic statement, “I will never do X,” and all the words after it. In my mind, I was reflecting on how I had thought for a long time. “I will never get divorced.” That thought was heavy on my mind, as I was scheduled to meet the following week with a mediator to begin to do just that: get divorced.
This prideful outlook is just the sort of mindset that Jesus is calling out the Pharisees for in today’s passage from Luke 18. These are people who Luke describes as those “who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt” (18:9). Jesus, in telling the parable, describes the Pharisee “standing by himself” while he prayed this very self-righteous prayer: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people. … I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income” (18: 11-12). In this prayer, the Pharisee is telling God that he doesn’t need God’s mercy, because he’s got this whole righteousness thing figured out for himself—unlike all these other sinners! The Pharisee, in his pride, comes to God in a posture of ‘look what I have done for you.’
In contrast, the tax collector is approaching God in a spirit of true humility; he is “standing far off” and cannot even “look up to heaven” because he is so aware of the reality of his own imperfections. The tax collector feels contrite and sorrowful when he reflects on “what he has done and what he has left undone.” Because of this, the tax collector’s posture in approaching God is one that recognizes what God has done and what God will do: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (18:13).
As he concludes his parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, Jesus offers us this powerful antithesis to drive home the message he wants us to take away: “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled but all who humble themselves will be exalted.” Again and again throughout the New Testament, especially in passages in which Jesus in speaking, we hear a message that emphasizes a reversal of the usual power dynamics. The Good News we always hear from Jesus is that the weak become strong, the poor become rich, and those who exalt themselves will be humbled but those who humble themselves will be exalted. I have experienced this reversal deeply and personally over the past two years—the weak becoming strong, the humble being exalted—and I, for one, am grateful that we are loved unconditionally by a God who offers us unending mercy and grace. Thanks be to God.
Becky+
Moment for Reflection
What circumstances did you once think you would never allow yourself to fall into, and then later you found yourself in that very situation? Or what did you once think you would never, ever do that you later found yourself doing? What did you learn about yourself—and what you believe about God—through your changed circumstances? How did this reversal of status serve to humble you and make you more compassionate toward others?
Think of the people you know who come across as very humble. Reflect on their lives and how they present themselves both to God and to others. What can you learn from their way of seeing themselves and their role in the lives of others?