Gospel of Luke, chapter 18:13

There is a story about Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, who visited a prison and talked with each of the inmates, He heard endless tales of innocence, of misunderstood motives, and of exploitation. Finally, the king stopped at the cell of one inmate who said nothing. “Well, remarked Frederick, I suppose you are an innocent victim too?” “No, sir, I’m not,” replied the man. “I’m guilty and await my punishment.” Turning to the warden the king said, “Here, release this man before he corrupts all these fine, innocent people in here!” Thus, the man was released, not because he was innocent but because he was humble.

Today’s scripture about the tax collector’s humble cry for mercy in Luke 18 emphasizes the importance of humility over self-righteousness when it comes to worship. We need to pay attention to the attitude of the tax collector not only to learn the secret of worshipping in a way acceptable to God but also of leading a genuine life of faith.

Tax collectors, in Jesus’ day, were generally regarded as people of low moral standards. Because tax collectors worked for the pagan Romans, fraternized with them, and constantly handled their unclean money, they were said to be in a state of ritual uncleanliness. As far as the religion of the day was concerned tax collectors were public sinners on the highway to hell. But the tax collector in Luke 18 knew that the voice of the leaders is not always the voice of God. He put His trust not on the merit of any religious or moral achievement, but on the gracious mercy of God.

The Pharisees believed in a discriminating God who loves good people and hates bad people. People tend to behave like the God they believe in. So the Pharisees quickly learnt to love only people like themselves and to look down on public sinners like the tax collectors. The humble tax collector in today’s scripture trusted not in himself or in anything he had done but only in God’s mercy. This is the person who prayed: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” and he left the temple at peace with God.

We should learn from the tax collector the secret of worshipping in a manner that is acceptable to God.

Firstly, we should not listen to other people who tell us that God is so angry at us that He cannot possible forgive us.

Secondly, we should acknowledge our sins and entrust ourselves to the generous mercy of God which is bigger than any sins we might have committed.

Finally, we should never look down on any of our fellow sinners but try to help them in their search for God just as the tax collector has helped us in our search for God.

As St. Peter wrote: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).

Fr. Hugh Duffy