When I
was living in Mexico a few years ago, the following encounter was not uncommon
when I met people living in the streets. At times we would meet people who had
a serious injury, a large cut or broken bone, for example. After just a brief
look it was clear that this individual needed to see a doctor otherwise there
was no hope that they would get better. We would always tell the person this
fact, and explain that we would take them and cover the expenses. The strange
thing is that some would refuse to allow us to bring us to the hospital. They
would tell us that their injury was not that bad and that they would get better
on their own. I was reminded of these experiences when I was reflecting on the
reading of today. These people never accepted the severity of their wound and
as a result, they could not be helped to find healing. A similar dynamic is at play in the parable
of the Pharisee and the tax collector.
In this
parable we meet two people who respond very differently to the reality of sin
in their lives. The Pharisee and the tax collector were in stark contrast in
the way they viewed their own sinfulness.
One message of the parable is straightforward: each of us, without exception,
is in need of God’s mercy. Taking as an analogy my experience in Mexico, we could
say that each of us is seriously wounded as a result of sin and we require God’s
healing. But here’s the point: in order for God to heal us, we must first
recognize that we are wounded and ask for His help. Just as we could not force
anyone to go to the hospital, God cannot force His mercy on those who do not
think they need it. The Pharisee and tax collector were both sinners. The
Pharisee is at least guilty of the sin of pride and despising others. Quite probably
the sins of the tax collector were greater. He was cooperating with a foreign
oppressor and had stolen from his countrymen. The way the two see the reality
of sin in their lives makes all the difference. The Pharisee is convinced that
he is not in need of God’s forgiveness because he follows the law perfectly; he
is blind to the severity of his wound and therefore does not ask God for
healing. The tax collector, on the other hand, is well aware of his need for
God’s mercy and calls on God for healing. At the end of the day it is the tax collector
and not the Pharisee who is made right with God. This is all because the two
men respond in a very different way to the reality of sin in their life.
In our
own life, we can easily downplay the severity of sin. It is easy to forget the
wide-ranging effects of our own sins. None of us would go as far as the
attitude of the Pharisee, but isn’t it easy to think along these lines, “in
comparison to other people my sins are not that bad … I haven’t robbed a bank
or killed anyone!”? Indeed, some sins
are more serious than others. We should not, however, brush off our sins as “no
big deal”. Often the full effects of our sin are hidden from us. Let me
illustrate this with a story. Last week I was visiting my family was getting
ready to return to St. Matthew’s as it was getting late. As I gathered my
things from the table where I had placed them when I came in, I noticed that my
keys were missing. At first I was calm
and I started to search under some other items on the table. As time went on I became
more frantic. These weren't just any keys, these were the keys to the Church
and the School! I knew if I lost them it would be bad news. My search became
more serious. I called everyone who was at the dinner to see if they had taken
them by mistake. I started to search with a flashlight down the heating ducts. After
an hour of searching I had just about given up hope when I saw a large bowl full
of decorations sitting on another table. I figured it was worth a shot. I
started digging my hand into the bowl and low and behold … my keys were there!
At that very moment a thought struck me: my niece! I have a five year old niece
and though I couldn't prove it, I had a sneaky suspicion that she was
responsible for hiding my keys. The next day, my niece was asked if she had
hidden my keys. Her response: “aahhhhhh yes”. Why did she do it? “I was trying
to be sneaky”, she said. This story illustrates well what happens when we sin.
Like my niece, we know – at least to some extent - that what we are doing is wrong. At the same
time we are not usually aware of the full effects of our actions. My niece had no
way of knowing much stress her action would cause me or what would happen if
the keys went missing altogether. She was just trying to be sneaky! Likewise
when we sin we forget that it always hurts us, others and our relationship with
God. The full consequences of our sins are often hidden from us. As a result, we
can tend to downplay the severity of sin in our life.
After
recognizing the wounds our sins cause, it is crucial that we trust in God’s
mercy and pass this mercy onto others. A fundamental Christian attitude is to
recognize that we are sinners in need of Gods mercy and that we need to spread
this mercy to others. This message, which is at the heart of the parable in
today’s gospel is expressed strongly in the message and devotion of. This
devotion spread particularly through the writings of the Polish nun, Saint
Faustina Kowalska. In the 1930’s she wrote a diary of about 600 pages chronicling
revelations she had received from Jesus about God’s mercy. The message of
Divine Mercy was not all together new, but rather a powerful reminder. Through
St. Faustina, Jesus wanted to remind the world that His mercy is always greater
than our sins so long as we call upon Him in trust, receive His mercy, and let
it flow through us onto other. In the parable we heard today, we have to avoid
thinking that the Pharisee is the villain and the tax collector is the hero. The
hero of the parable is God and His mercy. For those to whom Jesus initially
told this parable, it was shocking to think that this tax collector could
return home justified. The one thing he did right was call on God’s mercy. The
Pharisee, on the other hand, was blind to his need for God’s mercy. In addition
to not asking for mercy, he did not show mercy to others. Instead he judged and
despised the tax collector. The message
of Divine Mercy as promoted by St. Faustina can summarized just by remembering “A-B-C”.
A: Ask for God’s Mercy. God wants us to approach Him in prayer, asking for mercy
for our sins and that His mercy flows over the whole world. B: Be merciful. God
wants us to show mercy and forgiveness to others. C: Completely trust Jesus.
God wants us to know that the graces of His mercy are dependent only upon our
trust. The more we trust Jesus, the more mercy we receive. The Divine Mercy
message sums up wonderfully the fundamental Christian attitude promoted by the
parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector: we are sinners in need of God’s
mercy and we need to spread this mercy to others.
Going
back to my experience in Mexico, it was always sad when people refused to
recognize the extent of their injuries and accept help. Their continued
suffering seemed so senseless. Let us not make the same mistake in our spiritual
life by shutting ourselves off from God’s mercy by not recognizing our need for
it. Remember that allowing the healing rays of God’s mercy to enter our souls
wounded by sin is as simple as A-B-C: A) ask for God’s Mercy, B) be merciful
and c) completely trust Jesus.
