by Barry Pollard
(Based on Luke 18:9-14; Ps 65; 2 Tim 4:6-8,16-18)
Our readings this week come together to remind us where our eyes should be looking, what we should be doing and to whom we need to be grateful. Reading through the readings in preparation, the first verse of Psalm 65 stood out as a summary of what they all cue us into – giving God the glory!
I feel Psalm 65 sets a background for us, against which we can evaluate the other readings, and perhaps make better sense of them. The Psalm shows us God the giver. God, who forgives our sins, hears our prayers, and satisfies us with good things: the abundance of the earth, the order of creation, and the forgiveness of sins are all gifts from God. Our lives rest on God’s mercy and provision, not on our efforts. The Psalm is all about the things God does for us and gives to us.
Our response could be as simple as acknowledging all of these gifts, and whence they come. In doing so, we claim nothing for ourselves but rather give God the glory for all he is and does. “What mighty praise, O God, belongs to You.” These acknowledgements are reminders. They are reminders of the foundations of our faith.
And this is a theme Paul picks up on in his letter to Timothy. This letter is likely the last he ever wrote before his execution in Rome. As such, we tend to pay special attention to the words of a person close to his end. This letter is very personal. Timothy was like a son to Paul, so we can accept that Paul’s words would contain important pieces of wisdom, reflection and advice for Timothy.
Paul’s focus (in the selection from Chapter 4 read today) could be distilled into two parts:
A reflection on his life:
- I have fought the good fight
- I have finished the race
- I have remained faithful
- The prize awaits me
His relationship with God:
- The Lord stood with me and gave me strength
- The Lord rescued and delivered me from every evil attack
- The Lord will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom
Note, the order of his thoughts: self-evaluation and then acknowledging God. It is God’s sustaining power that carried Paul through to the end. And God’s sustaining power can carry us through to our end. Paul, after everything was said and done, was acknowledging that all glory belongs to God.
Which brings us to the Gospel reading:
We are quite familiar with this parable. Luke writes that Jesus is speaking to a group “who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else”.
The Pharisee prays: “I thank you, God, that I am not like other people — cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.”
I admit that when I hear this parable I immediately fall into the trap of behaving just like the Pharisee, feeling that his prayer is pompous, self-serving and not at all like mine!
He begins thankful to God. Then outlines what he sees the benchmarks of his faithful life to be. He claims he isn’t a cheat, sinner or adulterer. He fasts twice a week and tithes. Righteous or self-righteous? Where is his compassion for those he deems less than himself? His pursuit of justice? Is he really free of sin? Does any of what he claims as righteous, in fact, have to do with a God-focussed relationship?
I would sum up his prayer as a “See how good I am, God?” one. I don’t see any hint of personal relationship.
On the other hand the tax collector, despised and shunned of society, “stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’”
His prayer I would sum up as a “See how broken I am, Lord; help me” one. It cries out for relationship with God.
Jesus declares the humble sinner “justified”, “for those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” He’s teaching that we are not made right with God by pride or performance, but by humble repentance and trust in his mercy.
So, back to me (and maybe you).
Well, I would like to think I am not like the Pharisee. Reading his prayer though, as I said, I immediately phrased my own in my mind, “Thank you God that I am nothing like that pompous, self-serving Pharisee!” And no sooner had the thought been thought, I realised that I am in fact no better or different. I’m seeing my righteousness as linked to benchmarks, and comparison with others, just like he is. Where was my humility before God?
Which brings me to a wider issue – of prayer.
Prayer is simply communicating with God. It is a good thing. It can be productive and relationship building. We can acknowledge degrees of intensity, even response. But it is dependent ultimately on how we see God.
Scripture reveals for us the nature of God. His attributes are fatherly. Not confined by earthly limits, he is ever-loving and ever-caring. He wants to be in relationship with us. He wants to bring out the best in us. He wants our relationship to be unforced and natural. We are encouraged to be childlike in his presence.
Jesus freed us from the Law. He replaced it with his endless grace. We no longer have to reach benchmarks, and follow rituals to be acceptable. We are now “children of God”.
Understanding wherein our righteousness lies, we need to always remember that he is God Almighty, deserving of our praise and worship, in whose presence we should seek forgiveness for the things we have done and the things we have not done, our sins. These are our acts of humility. And if we are childlike with God, we should deal with the unpleasant before asking him for things. As a parent I was much more disposed to granting favours when my children were doing their best to behave, following the family rules, and so on. How much more so this would be with God. “Those who humble themselves will be exalted,” we are told.
When I first came back to faith, I was immersed in a home group, that taught me many things. Weekly, we engaged in Bible study, group discussions, shared life’s wisdom, and prayed together, all of which combined to open my eyes, and heart, to Jesus again and to ground me in faith. One of the early takeaways from the home group was to moderate prayer in a way that fostered humility. You may be familiar with the ACTS acronym – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. It means we worship God first, then confess our sins and seek forgiveness, give thanks for all God has done and is doing for us and those in our sphere of concern, and finally we ask for God’s help with the issues on our hearts.
Note, in the acronym the C is definitely for Confession. There is no Comparison in there!
I admit that despite knowing this approach, and trying to follow it, sometimes I cut straight to the asking, missing out on the worship, confession and thanksgiving! The Pharisee in Jesus’s parable, on the other hand, cut straight to the thanksgiving (of sorts). So what, if anything, could be the difference between what I do and what he did?
Boldly I would say, he didn’t actually pray. He couched his ‘thanksgiving’ in comparison. He wasn’t humble. One is left wondering why he was in the temple at all.
Remember the criticisms Jesus levelled at the Pharisees on many occasions. Hypocrites! Vipers! He said the Pharisees prayed to be seen by others, not to connect with God, and that their prayers were hypocritical and performed for public admiration. He condemned their practice of making long prayers for show while harming the vulnerable, and he criticised their desire for public respect and status!
So, I think the differences lie in our hearts. God knows us, intimately. He knows what is motivating us. He knows when we need him urgently. He knows when we are genuine. I’d like to think that, in prayer particularly, I am God-focussed. I try to synch my thoughts with his thoughts, so that the things I ask for are pleasing to him. If I am self-seeking in my prayer I know it is unlikely to be answered.
You will recall that Bishop Bruce [Bruce Gilberd – Ed] often explained that God responds to all of our prayer, but not always in the ways we expect. He will answer with “Yes,” “No,” or “Wait,” and these answers are often aligning us with God’s wisdom, perfect timing, and greater plan. Sometimes “Yes,” may come through miraculous intervention or in a way that was not expected. “No” is often God protecting us from something that would ultimately be harmful to us. And “Wait” is seen as a way to develop our patience, strengthen our faith, and prepare us for the right time.
A good way to keep track of the effectiveness of your prayer life is to document it. Keep a record of what you have prayed about and take time to reflect on how God has responded.
Today then, we have heard that God provides and forgives. We have heard that God justifies the humble and he strengthens and saves his followers. We need to understand that our hope is not in ourselves, but in God’s grace — from beginning to end.
Three life lessons that we could follow:
Be humble in prayer: Like the tax collector, we should approach God honestly, without pretence.
Be grateful in life: Like the psalmist, we should recognise God’s hand in both forgiveness and provision.
Persevere in faith: Like Paul, we should finish the race leaning on God’s strength, not our own.
In a commentary on the readings for today I came across this brilliant conclusion: The Christian life is not a display of our greatness, but of God’s mercy and power. We stand forgiven like the tax collector, sustained like Paul, and blessed like those in Psalm 65.
Closing Prayer
Gracious God,
You are the one who forgives our sins, hears our prayers, and fills our lives with good things.
Keep us from pride like the Pharisee, and teach us to come before you with the humility of the tax collector, trusting only in Your mercy.
Strengthen us, as you strengthened Paul, to fight the good fight and finish the race with our eyes fixed on Jesus.
May our lives be a witness that all glory belongs to you, who saves, sustains, and blesses your people.
Through Christ our Lord,
Amen.
stfrancischurchtairuanz 