HOMILY FOR THE 30TH SUNDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR, C
Rev.
Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi
But woe to you
Pharisees, for you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and
the love of God (cf. Luke 11:42)
Am afraid, we are becoming
Pharisees. The way today Christians focus on tithe and tithing these days is
alarming. We are losing our Christian ideal. To be candid, tithe is very reductionistic
of Christian sense of charity. Preachers talk on tithe these days as if to say
it is a hard-core Christian teaching. We must spell it out that tithing is a
Jewish practice which every Christian is called to go beyond. Ours is not a law
for tithe, but a law for love (of an unconditional sacrifice, of self-emptying
for the other, and offering all you have, and not merely a part). If you pay
tithe, make sure that you do so out of love to offer something for the good of
the Church and of the poor, not as something conditional for divine progress
and success. Any preacher who tells you that without tithe the Lord will not
bless you is a thief. With these words, I welcome you to our weekly food for
the soul.
The arrangement of the
Gospel according to St. Luke is very awesome. Last Sunday, we read the
importance of persisting in prayer. This Sunday, we are presented with the
manner with which every Christian should pray. The very first sentence of the
Gospel (Luke 18:9-14) spells out clearly the reason for which the parable was
told or the people about whom the parable refers: to some who were self-confidently sure that they were righteous and who
despised others. This parable has two characters that did the same thing at
the same place, but in different ways. They did the same thing, as they went to
pray. The devout Jew observed three periods of prayer daily (9am, 12pm, and
3pm). So, at these hours, many went to pray. They went to the same place – the
temple. Prayer was held to be especially efficacious if it was offered in the
Temple courts. However, the people prayed differently and actually it is this
that became the distinguishing part of the story.
One, a Pharisee...
The
Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. The story does
not give us much stress in deciphering the person who prayed as he should. He came
very near to the Holy of Holies (as the location of the tax collector probably
suggests this) seeing himself as most worthy to be in God’s presence. He did
not pray to God. Rather, he prayed to himself. The Pharisee was brandishing his
goodness and piety before God. He exhibited pride, arrogance and
self-righteousness. He did not even show a belief that the other person whom he
regards as a sinner can repent and do the will of God. True prayer is offered
to God. Only God alone is the being that we ought to pray to; not ourselves nor
the earthly rulers, or worse still the devil.
Looking at the content
of his prayer, he did not say this prayer based on the presence of the tax
collector neither did he only disregard him. This was his modus orandi (mode of prayer). He disregarded the rest of men. The rest of men here are those country people that
are not Pharisees. Pharisees prided themselves in the strict observance of the
law. In their thinking, all others are evil: thieves, adulterers, and unjust. This Pharisee had to cite an
example with the one present: or even as
this tax collector. This is the high point of the manifestation of his
self-righteousness. He enumerated the ingredients with which they weighed
righteousness and sinners. They must have imagined; indeed actually believed
that the strict keeping of the law sets them on a higher plane in God’s sight
and can be used for their acquittal when God’s judgment dawns. He fasts twice a week and pays his tithe. Fasting twice a week
truly was seen as going an extra mile in the observance of the Jewish law. The Jewish
law prescribed only one absolutely obligatory fast: on the Day of Atonement. However,
those who fasted twice a week wore rumpled and whitened faces and appeared in
untidy clothes demonstrating their piety for others to know and respect them. He
also paid his tithes, and probably never went beyond the demands of the tithes
in helpfulness of the poor, the widow and the needy. In all, the Pharisee went
to tell God how good he has been in keeping to the law (which they have
misinterpreted over the years). His were words of supererogation. He thinks his
words would grant him acquittal at God’s court of justice. It is a pity for it
turned out to be his condemnation. He has justified himself and no longer needs
God’s free gift of justification. He justifies himself; and to this sort of
people, the Scripture is clear: you are those who justify your selves before
men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination
in the sight of God (Luke 16:15). Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled
(cf. Luke14:11).
The other, a tax
collector...
The tax collector stood afar off and would not lift even his
eyes to heaven, and kept beating his breast. The Clause ‘standing afar off’
helps us to understand that he did not even think himself worthy of coming into
the dwelling place of God. He is also humble as he did not see himself fit to
behold the Lord in his temple; hence, his eyes were down. He accused himself
and was beating his breast which is a sign of repentance. He then said: O God,
be merciful to me –the sinner, as if he was not merely a sinner, but the sinner
per excellence. This is a prayer laden with humility, repentance, and
dependence on God. His were words and actions of self-despising. The tax
collector is acquitted at God’s court of justice, for he has recognized his
need of God’s mercy and has shown sorrow for his sins. Hence, he needs God’s
free gift of justification. Anyone who humbles himself will be exalted (cf.
Luke 14:11).
The First Reading
(Sirach 35:12c-14.16-18b) brings out the more the nature of God’s justice and
His free gift of justification. The Lord is a just judge. He alone is the
judge; not man. He does not also joke with the suffering poor as he hears their
cries. Most importantly, the prayer of the humble pierces the clouds and
reaches the Lord’s ear who is the executor of judgment against his oppressor. With
regard to justice, he shows no partiality; but when the poor are wounded and
victimized, he justifies them and does not delay in executing judgment. Just three
points to take home:
1. Pride renders our
prayers superfluous. We may think that we are praying without knowing that we
are merely making some noise and ridiculing ourselves. Surely, no man who is
proud can pray. Our prayer must demonstrate humility and contrite heart. We must
always pray like the Psalmist that the Lord delivers us and atones for our sins
(Psalm79:9). We pray like Daniel: O Lord, hear O Lord, forgive...pay attention
and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your
people are called by your name (Dan 9:19).
2. No man who despises
his fellow man can pray. Prayer is not an avenue to exalt ourselves above
others. Rather, we pray for the bleeding, sinful and suffering humanity which
we are all part of. We must constantly bear in mind that the Lord executes
justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him
food and clothing (Deut 10:18). So, when we see someone we consider as sinful,
poor or straying, we must regard the person as one whom God desires so dearly,
and one whom God actually loves and cherishes. With this consciousness, we
avoid pride, self-righteousness and calumny.
3. Our good deeds are
done for the love we have for God and for humanity, not for passage through the
corridors of God’s judgment. Our justification is a divine gift requiring human
effort, not just human effort demanding divine justification. Any one of us can
think that he/she has done enough good things as to merit him/her heaven, but
no one of us should think that the good things he/she has done are sole
conditions for eternal life with God. The beatific vision, our justification is
a divine gift. However, this gift moves alongside divine justice. St. Paul was
very sure today that the Lord is a righteous judge, and as a righteous judge,
he will not abandon him after having worked for him (2 Tim 4:6-8.16-18). As Christians,
this should be our disposition after our good deeds. Not to us, Lord, not to
us, but to your name be the glory. I wish you a blessed week ahead. God bless
you.
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