GROW AS A DISCIPLE
Today’s first reading says, “The Lord is a God of justice who knows no favorites.” While we humans show deference to people we admire or give preferential treatment to those we like, God loves all his creatures with the same perfect love. But then the reading goes on to say something that seems to contradict that opening line, even suggesting that God has a soft spot in his heart for the poor: “Though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed.” The text mentions that God hears the prayers of the widow and orphan, and that “the prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds.” So what are we to make of all this? While God loves all perfectly, his heart is moved to mercy particularly toward the poor and lowly. And so the tax collector’s humble prayer is heard, and he goes home justified, while the Pharisee does not.
GO EVANGELIZE
Jesus knew how to tell stories that acted as a mirror to reveal the state of peoples’ hearts. Today’s Gospel opens with the line: “Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness.” Because we cannot know what’s going on in someone’s heart the way Jesus knows, we have to be careful not to assume we know what another needs to hear. Yet, in our efforts to accompany others on the road to discipleship, there may be moments where we’re called to speak a word that “afflicts the comfortable or comforts the afflicted.” If we do, we must always do so from a place of love and humility, recognizing that sometimes we are sharing this word because God has convicted us of precisely the same thing we’re sharing with another! In that way, our sharing becomes more witness to the ways God has humbled us.
PRAY
There is a short, ancient Christian prayer known as the Jesus Prayer that is derived, in part, from our Gospel reading today. The entire text of the prayer is one line: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner” which is repeated over and over again. Consider praying this prayer throughout the week as a way of rooting yourself more deeply in humility and an awareness of our need for God’s mercy.
By The Faithful Disciple