Musings on the Daily Lectionary

On Ash Wednesday, the gospel reading is a parable from Jesus. Two men go to the temple. One is a Pharisee. The name conjures up images of "the bad guy" for many Christians, but in Jesus' day Pharisees were the folks who took faith seriously. They were reformers who argued against religious ritual and for a life that was obedient to God. Any pastor would be lucky to have a congregation full of Pharisees. There would always be plenty of volunteers, lots of mission projects, and plenty of money for the budget.

The other fellow at the temple is a tax collector. Again what comes to mind when we hear this label probably doesn't fit what it meant in Jesus' day. This was no civil servant. He was a crook and a traitor. Tax collectors were Jews who collaborated with the occupying Romans. They had contracts to collect taxes for Rome, and they could keep whatever they collected above their allotment. They used Roman troops to shake down the people for money, and they often got rich. They were almost universally despised.

Quite a contrast; an upstanding church member and a greedy crook. But Jesus says the tax collector goes home justified, that is, right in God's eyes. And all because he cried out for mercy.

We religious folks often have a hard time not being proud of our religiousness. Conversely, we often look down our noses at those who clearly don't take their religious lives seriously. But this parable argues for a different sort of pose before God.

I don't have the quote in front of me, but Martin Luther once said something like, "When you find yourself before the heavenly judge, plead your faults and not your merits." Neither Luther nor Jesus were arguing that we should live sinful, criminal, or despicable lives. Rather they want us to base our relationship with God on the fact that God loves us, whoever we are. It's not a contractual arrangement that hinges on what we do.

Change Jesus' parable just a bit so that the two men are addressing their spouses or lovers. One dutiful spouse tells his partner what a good catch he is, not like other lovers. But the other fellow falls weeping at his lover's feet, acknowledging his failings and asking for another chance. Personally I think there is more hope for the second relationship than the first.

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