THE LORD IS CLOSE TO THE BROKEN-HEARTED

XXX SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Luke 18:9-14

This Sunday, we can hear one parable more, in which Jesus teaches us about the correct attitude towards God and towards the others. It is also a parable about the way we look at ourselves in comparison with the others and a parable about the correct attitude in prayer.

Luke tells us that Jesus told the parable “to some people who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else.” (Lk 18:9). Putting side by side a pharisee and a publican, Jesus presents two people with two completely different attitudes. For Jesus’ audience, this parable was utterly shocking. The Pharisees were considered good and holy, so how could Jesus find blame on a Pharisee and condemn him? And how could he praise the Publican, a sinner hated by everybody?

However, if we look at them from Jesus’ perspective, we can see that Jesus looked into their hearts and judged them well. Just hear what the Pharisee says about himself: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.” (Lk 18:11-12). He is not praying, but boasting about himself. God should recognised how good he is and even proclaim his greatness and sing his praises. He is Mr. Right, and in his righteousness he stands alone. There is nobody like him. The others are impure and sinners; they are evil people. They do not deserve God’s attention. In the Pharisee, we see the self-righteous man, whose glorious righteousness must be sung. Instead of praying to God, he sounds as praying to himself. He was so full of himself, that he had no place for God and no place for the others. So he despises everybody else, mainly the Publican (tax collector). Instead of examining himself and ask God’s forgiveness for his own sins, he preferred to speak of the other’s sins. He set himself up as judge of the others, condemning them straight away, without leniency. He s not able to be merciful, because does not see the need of mercy for himself. He does not need to be saved, because he is righteous enough to deserve his reward. We may say that he is bold enough to impose himself on God, and God should follow his judgement. He forgot that we have no rights over God and that salvation is a free gift of his merciful love.

The publicans were looked upon with contempt. Collaborating with the Roman colonisers, they were seen as traitors and hated for that. Enriching themselves by overtaxing and keeping a share for themselves, they were considered thieves, and therefore sinners. People could not get rid of them, but despised and hated them. However, it is this man whom Jesus presents as an example of prayer that was accepted by God. He was aware of his own sinfulness and he had nothing to boast about. Instead, he humbled himself, “not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven”. He did not deserve to come close to the Lord, and so he “stood some distance away”, beating his breast and pleading for mercy.

In the first reading, we find the words: “The humble man’s prayer pierces the clouds” (Sir 35:21), and that happened with the Publican, while the Pharisee remained alone with his own pride.

The psalm 34 expresses the confidence of the Publican in God’s mercy. We sing God’s praises, because he “is close to the broken-hearted” and he saves “those whose spirit is crushed”.

Let us pray with the psalm 34

I will bless the Lord at all times,

  his praise always on my lips;

in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.

  The humble shall hear and be glad.

The Lord turns his face against the wicked

  to destroy their remembrance from the earth.

The just call and the Lord hears

  and rescues them in all their distress.

The Lord is close to the broken-hearted;

  those whose spirit is crushed he will save.

The Lord ransoms the souls of his servants.

  Those who hide in him shall not be condemned. 

(Psalm 34:2-3, 18-19)