Proper 25C - The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22 and Psalm 84:1-7
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Luke 18:9-14

 

A woman was brought before the judge at night in a New York City Court Room.  There were a number of people in the room waiting for their cases to be heard.

The charge against the woman was the theft of a loaf of bread from a local supermarket.

The Judge heard the case; the woman pleaded guilty, confessing to having stolen the bread in order to feed her children because she had no money.

In his ruling the Judge ordered the woman to pay a fine of $50.

He also fined all 25 of the people in the courtroom $2 each for living in a city where a mother with no money had to steal bread in order to feed her children.  The $50 he collected was used to pay the woman’s fine.

*  *  *

The section of Luke’s gospel that we are dealing with at the moment begins with Luke 17:20… Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God was coming.

His answer was:  “The Kingdom of God is among you.”

*  *  *

After this Jesus speaks about the need to respond immediately to God’s call - the Kingdom of God, God demands immediate obedience from his subjects. 

*  *  *

There follows a passage on prayer about the widow and the unjust judge…  The sort of prayer that brings the Kingdom of God is prayer that leads to action and to justice.

*  *  *

In the passage we read today, Luke 18:9-14, we learn about the need to allow God to change us when we pray.

From Luke 17:20 we’ve spoken so far about the Kingdom Reign of God - a world characterized by people’s love of and obedience to God is not far off; in fact it is potentially right here.

This Kingdom is characterised by its justice… it’s not just pie in the sky when you die, but a community of people (us) living God’s way on earth right now.

We know from the witness of Jesus message that living God’s way is not about keeping a rigid set of laws, but rather about Loving God and loving neighbour - when we do these two things we automatically fulfil the law because love will not let us wrong our neighbour…

-  -  -

But in order for us to see this Kingdom reality we need to be transformed within ourselves, we need to become subjects of this Kingdom.  John Stott said that the Kingdom of God is wherever God is King.

When we as people being to make God King in every aspect of our lives… then we will truly begin to see God’s Kingdom.

*  *  *

The passage for today is the familiar parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, a story that emphasises the fact that true Christian prayer is prayer that confesses our need to be transformed…

Luke tells the story:  A Pharisee and a tax collector go to the temple to pray.

The Pharisee (on the right in this icon), standing by himself prays:  “I thank you, God, that I am not greedy, dishonest, or an adulterer, like everybody else. I thank you that I am not like that tax collector over there. I fast two days a week, and I give you a tenth of all my income.”

On the other hand the tax collector, standing far off - won’t even look up to heaven, he beats his breast saying seven simple words:  “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”

Jesus tells us that the tax collector went home justified - because those who make themselves great will be humbled and all who humble themselves will be made great.

*  *  *

Pharisees were considered to be the most pious people in Palestinian Jewish society.

They, like many other people longed for the coming of the Kingdom of God… some groups of people believed that the Kingdom should be won by battle - the Roman oppressors thrown out of the land by violence, these were the zealots. 

Other groups excluded themselves from the community and joined monasteries where they could experience a sort of isolated holy life, they were known as the Essenes.  

The Pharisees believed that God’s Kingdom reign would begin if everybody became suitably holy and fulfilled all the letters of the law…  They trusted that their own goodness and righteousness would force God to act against the injustice that the people of Israel experienced.

They therefore kept the laws of scripture meticulously, tithing even their herbs and spices in an effort to manipulate God’s hand; and they were sure to remind God of what they had done, just in case he didn’t see them.

-  -  -

We don’t like to admit it, but they’re a bit like us when we pray…

Lord I went to church every week last month, I read my Bible every day - why didn’t you answer my prayers?  Why did this awful thing happen to me?

Or alternatively - following the same pattern of thought but in reverse (trusting in our own goodness and righteousness) we tell ourselves that God won’t answer our prayers or do what we need him to do because we missed church, don’t pray often enough, give enough money or we think we broke some law of scripture…  We are fooled into believing that God will only hear us if we earn his favour in some or other special way.

And so - because of the same way of thinking we do not bother to pray at all.

-  -  -

This way of thinking comes from a distorted picture of what God is like, a picture which Jesus corrects for us in his actions which show us what God is really like.

God cares for the good and the bad, showing mercy to all people, loving and forgiving them, welcoming us home whenever we turn to him…

-  -  -

In the gospels Jesus quite often corrects the Pharisee’s way of thinking about the Kingdom of God, he constantly reminds them that it is a present reality, not a future dream.  It is not to be forced onto people - but rather a reality that is realised in your own life as you commit yourself to being obedient to God.

*  *  *

In contrast to the pious Pharisee, who trusts in his own righteousness and despises others… Jesus holds the tax collector up to his audience as a good example…

The Pharisee’s way of praying, by the way, was not considered unusual - it was actually expected of Pharisees - they were highly respected within the community for their holiness and observance of the law… and it was considered proper and good for him to give thanks to God for the fact that he was so holy.

Pharisees (who probably made up the bulk of Jesus audience) doubly despised tax collectors... 

They were considered unclean - because of all the work they did with money and people.  They were considered unpatriotic because they worked for the Roman government.

Pharisees hoped for Israel’s independence from Roman oppression; Tax collectors worked for the oppressive government themselves.

-  -  -

In contrast to the Pharisee’s self confidence and opinions of others, the Tax Collector is humble… He stands at a distance, with his head down, beats his breast and cries out “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”

The tax collector stands in the temple asking God to be merciful to him, to forgive him for his sins…  The tax collector approaches God as if God were a King.

Jesus tells us that because of this kind of prayer he is made right with God, the Pharisee on the other hand, in spite of all his holiness - all of his faithfulness in keeping the law; fasting, tithing, everything  - he is not made right with God.

*  *  *

The Kingdom of God is wherever God is King, as John Stott said…  The tax collector humbly approaches God as King, the Pharisee approaches God thinking that he can manipulate him somehow with all his law keeping - confident in his own self righteousness and not in a merciful King.

-  -  -

The Kingdom of God comes with prayer that changes not just the world around us, but more importantly changes ourselves… Prayer that starts with seven words, in the case of the tax collector:  “God, be merciful to me, a sinner…”

From this point of humility we can be changed into the Kingdom bringing people that God has called us to be.

*  *  *

I began this sermon with the story of a judge who fined everybody in the courtroom for living in a city where a mother had to steal bread to feed her children.

As we look around at the world in which we live we are inclined to blame all the evil that we see on everybody else… On government, on the police, on drug dealers, on lazy people, on the church sometimes - on sinners, tax collectors, and prostitutes… but we seldom take responsibility ourselves for the way the world is - for the state our community is in.

Reading the Paarl Post this week, the story of a baby abandoned in a plastic packet… How are we as a community responsible for things like that?  What are we going to do about it?

Are we going to pray that other people change? Or are we going to be the ones who change?

*  *  *

When, in our prayers we earnestly begin to ask God for mercy… ask God to change us.  Then I believe we will begin to see the Kingdom of God in this place.

Amen

Proper 24C - The Parable of the Unjust Judge

Luke 17:20-18:8

On Friday morning I was angry to hear about another South African Artist killed as a result of a violent crime:  Lucky Dube, a reggae musician; someone who had fought his way through many of the injustices of life to be where he was was apparently killed by carjackers in Rosettenville Johannesburg.

I know that the murder of Dube was just the tip of an iceberg of crime and injustice that overwhelms our country. 

If I was to ask those in this church today to raise their hands if they knew someone who was affected by violent crime or they were personally affected by violent crime I think nearly everyone would raise their hands.

If I asked you if you had ever experienced some injustice of any sort - just about everyone would have a story to tell.

*  *  *

The thing about crime happening to a celebrity, especially an artist like Dube is that it reminds us, that the people who are victims of injustice, violence and crime - regardless of their race, sex or religion - are real living people. 

We feel somehow connected to people like Lucky Dube, Taliep Petersen, Brett Goldin and Richard Bloom these people have probably moved us in some way at some time…  We feel like we know them somehow, they may have made you laugh at TV shows, made you angry, made you dance and sing, or moved you with some other emotion that their particular art ignited in you.

Because of our emotional link to these people (however faint it may be) we feel somehow wronged when they are wronged… even if we didn't particularly like them or admire them.

*  *  *

Someone has said:

"As soon as you look at someone and do not see a human face, then you have already committed an act of violence against them."

I'm not sure who said it - but it seems to resonate with what Jesus would teach... 

*  *  *

The first chapter of Genesis, verse 27 tells me I am made in God's image… as funny looking as I may be.  It reminds me that this God, Yahweh sees you and me as somehow special - as important enough in his universe for him to make us in his own image.  Later we will find out that we are important enough in his universe for him to become one of us and suffer with those who are violently persecuted.

This idea which we find in Genesis contrasted sharply with the ideas that the nations surrounding the Isrealites had.  Rulers made their people believe that only Kings and people of power and authority were made in the image of God.  

In contrast, the Israelites believed that all people were created in the image of God, (male and female both of them) and because all people were created in the image of God… they had to be respected.

*  *  *

Because of this deep respect for people as bearers of God's image God gave the Israelites laws that applied to all people, protecting them from each other… laws that prohibited people from stealing, from adultery, from working on the Sabbath (and even making the non-Israelites who worked for you work on the Sabbath); laws that promoted justice for all people (no matter who they were - even in spite of their religious background and race).

Even the most powerful person in the nation, the King, was subject to those same rules. 

*  *  *

Jesus teaches that all of those rules can be summed up in two commandments:

" 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' ³⁸ This is the greatest and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' "

- Matthew 22:37-39

Jesus tells us that loving your neighbour is a way of loving God.  The first commandment - "Love God" - and the second is just like it - "Love your neighbour."

*  *  *

But even in Israel, when people got powerful or wanted to get powerful they start to practice injustice.  Kings steal, covet, commit adultery and often murder…  Judges judge unfairly.  Business people cheat one another.

Those with power abuse those without.

The rich abuse the poor.

The strong abuse the weak.

Those in authority abuse those without authority.

Those with bigger weapons and bigger muscles get to tell those with smaller weapons and smaller muscles what to do.

*  *  *

People forget to see the face of God in people.

And God gets angry.

*  *  *

Prophets speak God's frustration to the world, about God's anger at injustice… and people hope for a new Kingdom; a reality in which people live as if God were truly their King, as if the people around them were truly image bearers of the King and should be treated as such.

*  *  *

The gospel reading for today - although we only read 18:1-8 finds its beginning in 17:20:  The Pharisees asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God was coming, Jesus' answer to them is that the Kingdom is among them; it is in their midst.

He then speaks to the disciples about being ready to be a part of the Kingdom… like in the days of Noah when Noah had to be obedient to God and build an ark - the disciples have to be obedient to God and live and teach as Jesus has taught them. 

Like in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah Lot and his family had to leave town when they were called; when Lot's wife looked back longing for the possessions which she had left behind - the scriptures tell us that she turned to a pillar of salt.

Both of these destructive apocalypses happened because people were being unjust…  The story of Noah begins in Gen 6:11 with the line "The earth was corrupt in God's sight, and filled with violence."

Ezekiel 16:49 tells us the reason for the destruction of Sodom:  "This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy."

*  *  *

The Kingdom of God is characterized by justice - its core values are the love of God and love of neighbour… Injustice and violence is not possible when people put these core values into practice.

*  *  *

And so, Luke tells us in vs. 1, Jesus encourages the disciples to pray always and not lose hope by telling the story of a widow and a corrupt Judge.

The widow - one of the most vulnerable people in society keeps returning to the judge to ask for justice; and eventually because of her persistence - he grants her justice.

Jesus encourages his disciples saying that even if a corrupt and fearless judge knows how to grant a poor and powerless widow justice… how much more will God be able to bring the justice of the Kingdom of God to the world in which people live.

*  *  *

It is interesting to look at the word translated from Greek into English for not losing hope or not being discouraged in verse 1 - it implies more than just an emotion; but rather a willingness to act in the face of opposition…  Literally translated the word ἐγκακεῖν means to not give in to evil.

Prayer for Jesus is never an excuse for inaction - rather it is always the beginning of action.  The "Our Father" which he taught his disciples to say is filled with calls to practical action:  "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done," is us asking God to use us… to enable us to be people who make God's Kingdom a reality in the world in which we live.

Whenever Jesus goes away on his own to pray - he always comes back to do what God has asked him to do - even on one occasion when the call was for him to go to the cross.

*  *  *

I began with talk about the corruption we see in the world around us; the injustice which is carried out by all sorts of people with power…  Sometimes it's the power of a person with a gun, like a thief or a hijacker.  Sometimes it's the power of someone with money.  Sometimes muscles.  Sometimes authority.

People somehow seem to be able to be so mean to each other because they don't see the human face of God in those whom they encounter… 

The only way for us to change this attitude is to begin to treat each other, all the people we encounter, sinners, saints, Muslims, Jews, wives, husbands, children, enemies and friends with the same sort of respect with which God has treated us.

And we need to campaign for others to do the same.

Knowing always that God hears our cries.

In God has a Dream a book by Desmond Tutu he speaks of how at protest marches he used to shout to the troops - who were bigger than him, and much more powerful:  "Come and Join the winning side!"

Because he knew - like we should, that when we work with God we will ultimately have the victory. 

Amen

Proper 22 C - Jesus tells the disciples to forgive

Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 and Psalm 37:1-9
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Luke 17:5-10

A couple of years ago there was an advert for KFC’s R1.95 ice cream - I noticed the ad because when I lived in Potchefstroom there was not much to do in the evenings besides pop out to KFC for one of there R1.95 ice creams, for an extra R1 I added a flake to mine.

In the advert a young girl is seen playing with her imaginary friend.  She smiles and she laughs as she swings on the swing with her, she has a tea party with her, she plays hide and seek… but her smiling face turns to darkness when her father - not knowing where her imaginary friend is standing mows her over with the lawnmower.

The advert ends - as all adds to with happiness as father and daughter walk out of KFC with an ice cream and the caption reads:  Forgiveness - R1.95.

*  *  *

We all know that forgiveness is not always so easy and cheap… when we have been wronged we often harbour a feeling of discontent, of resentment for a long time after the fact.

Even if we do ‘forgive’ people for the wrongs they do to us or have done to us.  We often - in a moment of anger or distress find that we haven’t let the grudge go - we bear resentment in our hearts and it pours out at the most inconvenient times.

The relatively small wrongs that people have done to us often upset us deeply for years after they have happened. 

Evidence I think, that people were created for good - to be good to each other and to experience only goodness from each other.  Evidence that we all live in a world in which we don’t really belong - we just don’t have the necessary equipment to deal with evil, and so we answer evil with evil - and become people we don’t really like being.

*  *  *

In the reading from Habakkuk the prophet complains to God about evil in the land - people are suffering unfairly as a result of injustice and oppression.  

God’s response is to tell the prophet that the wicked will be brought to justice… Habakkuk must be patient; he must have faith and trust in God.  God speaks about what will happen to Israel - the exile, being conquered by other nations…

Habakkuk ends his oracle with a rather depressed - yet hopeful poem…

¹⁷     Fig trees may no longer bloom,
or vineyards produce grapes;
olive trees may be fruitless,
and harvest time a failure;
sheep pens may be empty,
and cattle stalls vacant—
     ¹⁸     but I will still celebrate
because the Lord God
saves me.

- Habakkuk 3:17-18 (CEV)

Habakkuk resolves to trust God, in spite of the difficulties of the world around him - knowing that justice is in God’s hands, knowing (by faith) that he is loved by God and justice will somehow prevail.

*  *  *

In the gospel reading, Jesus talks to his disciples about forgiveness…

“If the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.”

- Luke 17:4

In response to this difficult commandment from Jesus the disciples say to Jesus:  “Increase our faith!”  (you think walking on water, healing the sick is hard - forgiveness…. That’s impossible.)

Forgiveness for the disciples, as it always is for you and me is not just a R1.95 ice cream at KFC and everything’s OK.  For the disciples the strength to forgive seven times a day is something that will require faith.  (Like Habakkuk required faith when the world around him seemed to be going to hell.)

Yet we know that the disciples are a lot like us, not only do they struggle to forgive, but they also don’t have much faith, and Jesus is not afraid to tell them.

“Faith as big as a mustard seed and you could tell this mulberry tree to throw itself in the sea and it would obey you,” says Jesus.

- Luke 16:6 (My version)

(I have not come across any record of a disciple throwing a tree into the sea - and I am assured that Mustard seeds are quite small; I think Jesus was telling the disciples that they didn’t have much faith at all.)

Jesus then tells them a parable that doesn’t make much sense in this day and age where we care for people - and are properly conscious of worker’s rights.

*  *  *

Jesus parable goes something like this - he’s talking about his command to the disciples to keep forgiving:

If your slave worked in the field all day would you make him dinner in the evening?

No!

You would expect him to cook you dinner.

Would you thank him afterwards?

No - because even though he was working hard he was just doing his duty.

So you - when you have done all that you have to do - don’t expect to be honoured and commended for your hard work; say:  We are worthless slaves - we have just done what we were supposed to do.

- Luke 17:7-10 (My version)

*  *  *

Jesus doesn’t tell stories to make the disciples think that forgiving is going to be easy.  He seldom paints discipleship as, as easy as we would have it in our modern age where forgiveness costs R1.95 and food comes frozen and pre-packaged.

Instead Jesus tells them a story about how slaves simply have to do what is required of them and sometimes what is required is actually quite difficult (superhuman in fact). 

In the Kingdom of God about which Jesus is teaching, A Kingdom in which we each belong to the household of God forgiving sins is just one of those things you’re going to have to do - even if the person sins against you seven times a day, and repents seven times a day!

*  *  *

Jesus is talking about this because he has just concluded a debate with the Pharisees and Experts in the law about why he is always spending time with (as Luke 15:1) puts it, “tax collectors and sinners.”  (15:1-17:10 form a logical section of Luke’s gospel)

In his debate he has tried to show them what God is really like, giving them examples from life to say:  If this is what people can do, think how much better God will do?

So from 15:1-17:10 he tells them stories about lost things:  A lost sheep, a lost coin, a lost son… what shepherd in his right mind wouldn’t rescue his sheep; woman in her right mind wouldn’t search for her coin; what father in his right mind wouldn’t welcome his estranged son home with rejoicing!

He tells some parables about being generous with money - one that begs the question:  If people in business know how to be generous - how much more does God know how to be generous? (16:1-13)

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus tells a story of what might happen to people who aren’t generous… they end up in a place that looks like hell - when those who were in need of mercy all their lives, end up in a place that looks like heaven. (19-31)

*  *  *

Jesus tells all of these stories to the self righteous and reluctant to forgive in order to show them what God is really like.

God is better than people, more merciful and generous than people - and because of this; God is a God who offers unlimited forgiveness, and unlimited love - always calling people to himself.

*  *  *

And because God is a God who forgives; the disciples, the apostles (people sent to spread the good news about God to the world) are duty bound to being people who proclaim, and offer grace and forgiveness.  People who are not stumbling blocks to other people being allowed to enter the Kingdom of God.

*  *  *

To offer faith they, like Habakkuk, need faith.  Habakkuk was able to have peace in the midst of the violence that surrounded him because he put his trust in God.  He was sure that God would be the one who did what was righteous and so he sings his Psalm - though everything is a disaster - I will rejoice, because God is still God.

*  *  *

In the New Testament, faith and belief most often talk about believing that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah - that what he teaches about God is true. 

One of the most amazing things that Jesus teaches - and shows by his actions - about God (specifically in this section of Luke’s gospel), is that God forgives.  God is constantly reaching out to the outcast, to those who have rejected him.  God is constantly reminding them that they are loved.

Faith - in the New Testament - is about believing this message.  Paul refers to it as “the word of God” which he goes out to the world to preach: Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins.

*  *  *

This New Testament faith reminds us that God is like Jesus.  It reminds us that God loves us enough to die on the cross for us - breaking the door open - so that even the foulest, smelliest sinner knows that they are unconditionally welcomed into the household of God.

Jesus knows that that kind of love is what people were made for - not the violence of the world in which they live - violence that produces resentment and hatred, which ends in us becoming sinful and violent ourselves.

The kind of love that Jesus offers, and we are called to offer is the kind of love that transforms hearts - a bit like flowers opening to the summer sun.  The kind of love that helps people to become the people God created them to be.

And as difficult as it may sometimes seem - we who wish to be disciples of Jesus have to be the people who constantly offer that love to people - even though -in our own sinful opinions - we don’t think they deserve it - and we believe strongly that forgiveness should cost more than R1.95 for an ice cream at KFC.

*  *  *

When we learn to offer, and receive this grace and forgiveness about which Jesus speaks - then I truly believe we will begin to see the Kingdom of God in this place.

Amen.