Publican and Pharisee

 Today’s Gospel (Luke 18:10-14) has our Lord directing our thoughts (and prayers) with another parable.

In all such instances, we should accept our Lord’s words as being indicative of real-life events, even when they are delivered as parables.  Why?  Because Christ’s teaching is not about nebulous events or people.  He crafts His words to change our hearts from being stony and cold to the place where we can find them molding to His will, and being warm to accepting Him into them.

Today’s parable, like most others, places two people into positions of being at odds with one another.  The Publican is a man hated by the average person on the street because he works for the government, those who are oppressors, occupiers of Israel.  The average Jew wants nothing more than to be freed from the clutches of the Roman Empire.  And the Publican is the Empire’s tie between their treasury and those who are subdued as subjects.

This is in part that which crafts the heart of the Publican towards his state of repentance.  He hates himself for what he is, which for all practical purposes is a traitor to his own people.  And so the Lord describes finding him in the Temple beating his breast in repentance, asking God for forgiveness.  For how many other sins we do not know—perhaps many (like me).  He is filled with such self-judgmentalism that Jesus says that he would not even lift his eyes to heaven.

The Pharisee, on the other hand, judged not himself, but rather the Publican.  Thank You for not making me like THAT man…

Jesus told us, Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

The Publican has heard this message and has taken it to heart.  He has found that place where he understands that his life is a disappointment to his Father, and he wants nothing more than to become a restored son.

The Pharisee doesn’t need a Father.  He is self-sufficient.  “I’m good!  There’s nothing wrong with me.”  And in these attitudes, Jesus proclaims that the Publican went away justified, while the Pharisee was not.

Saint Basil teaches that there are three states through which we can be pleasing to God.  In the first, we fear His punishment, making us acceptable in the state of slaves.  In the second, we are in the state of servants, working for wages, fulfilling orders for our own advantage and in so doing earning our wages.  The third state is that of children, and here we strive for the highest good.  A child—a mature child—does the will of the Father not for fear of being beaten, nor even to receive a reward from Him, but rather because the child knows that he is loved.  And in return, the child loves and honors the Father, convinced that all that is the Father’s is also his as well.

As we are led by the Church to enter this Great Fast, let us take to heart the messages of these Preparatory Sundays, using them to begin to conform ourselves to where the Lord calls us even before the Fast takes its own loving hold of us—for our own good!

 

What Exactly Did the Lord Receive?

 Today’s Gospel (Luke 19:1-10) is a kind of “unofficial” beginning to the Lenten Season.  It’s not a “Sunday After Pentecost.”  It’s not a “Sunday of the Triodion.”  So what IS it, exactly.

Think of it this way.  When you go to dine at a nice restaurant, you’re often asked if you’d like to order “an appetizer.”  The thought is that there is a kind of “small portion food” that will enhance your ability to eat more.

Zacchaeus Sunday is the “appetizer” for the Preparatory Sundays before the Great Fast.

What does it offer to make us hungry for more?

The short answer is DESIRE!

This is where we find Zacchaeus.  It’s obvious that he has heard about Jesus.  He has developed a curiosity about Him.  The curiosity appetizer has evolved into a hunger to be able just to SEE who this Man is.

But God, in His wisdom, made him too small to allow him to easily achieve his goal.  Worse, his position as a tax collector (and a chief of them at that) causes the people also crowding the streets to push poor Zacchaeus away.  Call it retribution for his holding authority over them with their taxes.

So Zacchaeus must exert himself.  It’s not a premeditated plan.  Jesus is coming.  If I don’t act now, I won’t see Him.  I’ll climb the tree and at least get a glimpse of who this Man is.

This is a more sincere display of desire for Christ than the Lord’s own people have shown throughout His ministry.  Knowing all things, including the content of Zacchaeus’ heart, the Lord calls to him.  Come down!  I need to stay with you this day.

Zacchaeus is overjoyed!  He simply wanted to see Jesus.  Now, the Lord has not only spoken with him, He will do so yet again within his house.  Jesus will meet his family.  He’ll be able to converse with the Lord.  What will he say?  How will this all come to a conclusion?

People in the crowd are appalled.  He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.  It is to this sentiment that this article’s title is dedicated.

When one might be accused of visiting with someone who is held in contempt by the crowds, there is an automatic expectation that the one being visited is “paying off” the one visiting.  “Come into my home, and I will give you something of great value.”  The crowd expects Zacchaeus to be somehow giving to the Lord—they expect some kind of corrupt motives to be at play.

And so the question:  In any encounter with the Lord, throughout all of Scripture, when is there a confrontation, Christ with another person, where Jesus leaves having “received” something?  When does the Lord go away with more than He had upon arrival?  What’s that?  Never, you say?

Let us suggest that in fact Jesus leaves today’s encounter with Zacchaeus with something that He did not arrive with—Zacchaeus’ repentant heart!  What value is there is this?  None, to any of the people in the crowd who decried the Lord’s visit.  For Jesus, He left knowing that there was rejoicing amongst the angels of God over this one sinner who repented.

Lord, visit me, as You did Zacchaeus, and give me his repentant heart.

Never Give Up!

[For Sunday, 11Feb2024]

Today’s Gospel reading (Mat 15:21-28) teaches us the importance of persistence. 

The woman who approaches our Lord today has no ‘pedigree’ to fall back on with Jesus.  He comes as the King of Israel.  She comes as a woman from Canaan.  Canaan is after all the land that God promised to give to Abraham in return for his faithfully departing his home in Haran to follow where God would lead him.  So the Jews were conquerors of the land of Canaan, and therefore there was enmity between them.

The Lord goes out of His way to come to this place, the region of Tyre and Sidon, specifically to meet this woman. 

Therefore, when she comes, why does Jesus rebuff her?  And why does He do so in such a seemingly uncaring manner?  His rejection to her plea for help is not made once, not even twice.  Jesus refuses to help her after three successive pleas. 

Her first plea is significant.  Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!  These words once again echo the Jesus Prayer, beginning with seeking His mercy, and ending with a concrete recognition of His divinity as the Son of David, therefore at least partial recognition of the Lord’s claim to being the Messiah.

But her initial words go on.  My daughter is severely demon possessed.

Rebuff #1:  He answered her not a word. 

She makes such a heartfelt plea showing herself to be a loving mother, not asking for something for herself, but pleading the case for her possessed daughter, and the plea seemingly falls on deaf ears (although we know God hears EVERY prayer!). 

The Lord’s disciples know this woman’s status.  She is not a Jew and therefore she is amongst those whom the Lord has told them they should not minister to such people.  And so they speak to the Lord, asking Him to command her to be sent away. 

St. Matthew records (by noting the rejection of the Apostles) that the woman continued in her plea, for he tells us that the Apostles complaint to Jesus is she cries after us, and so her pleas haven’t ended with just the words St. Matthew has revealed to us.

Rebuff #2: I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Well, at least this time the rejection is made addressing the woman. 

We can begin to sense the desperation in her being.  She has to this time poured out her heart.  She shows the faith that recognizes that she KNOWS that Jesus can help her.  But she hasn’t penetrated to the place yet where He chooses to be that help to her.

He’s waiting for something.  And so she cries a heart-wrenching plea, Lord, help me!

Rebuff #3:  It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.

At this, the woman shows her humility.  It doesn’t matter what she’s subjected to in rejection.  She demonstrates this humility with her next words: Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.

I’m willing to be called a dog.  I define as a ‘crumb’ that which I know to be impossible for men, which is why I come to YOU, Lord, for I know what is impossible to men is simple for You— to You, Lord, this is a “crumb”!

Her humility now opens the door. 

Woman, great is your faith!  Let it be done to you as you desire.

Jesus doesn’t mention the daughter.  He doesn’t have to.  The mother has shown that she has no concern for herself.  She only wishes to see the mercy for which she has effectively pleaded be granted to her afflicted daughter.

If we feel as if our prayer has gone unanswered, if we are in anguish over that for which we think we have prayed fervently, don’t stop praying.  But don’t ‘judge’ God for not answering.

Perhaps He is waiting for us, as well, to show humility.  In doing so, perhaps we as well  will be blessed to hear Him say, great is your faith!