May the words of
my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O
Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
How
many of you here have ever used Facebook?
I’m
glad to see I’m not alone. For those of
you who do not use Facebook, don’t worry.
What I’m going to talk about was around long before it ever hit the
internet. In fact they were around long
before the internet.
How
many of you have ever taken one of those quizzes with titles like “Which
character on the Simpsons are you?” (I’m
Flanders). One of the latest quizzes
going around is “Why is the inquisition after me?” According to that quiz, I practice
witchcraft.
Well,
today we are going to take a quiz called “Which character am I in today’s parable?” I am going to make a few statements. All you need to do is keep track of whether
more of them are true for you or more of them are false. Here we go.
There
is only one right way to do things.
If
I study hard enough, I can learn the right way.
Some
things cannot be forgiven.
Prayer
needs to be done in a dignified manner.
Following
the rules will make me closer to God.
Being
a sinner will make God love me less.
I’m
a better Christian than my neighbour who isn’t here.
If
you answered true to more often than false, you are a Pharisee. If you answered false more often, you are a
tax collector. I have to admit right now
that I am a sinner because I envy those of you who can easily answer false to
most or all of those statements.
I
want most of those to be true. It would
make following in Christ’s footsteps much easier.
I
would love it if all of my study could have taught me the “right way.” I would love to have a list to follow that
would guarantee my place in heaven and God’s favour on Earth.
Unfortunately
that’s not the way it works. The only
real difference between the Pharisee and the tax collector is that the Pharisee
cannot see that he is just as broken as the tax collector.
I
am broken. I am a sinner. Sometimes I am a Pharisee. I hide behind my knowledge. I do all the right things and I believe that
makes me better that those who don’t.
When I do that, I am wrong. I am
not better. I am just as broken. That is part of what it means to be human.
We
– I need to learn from the tax collector.
“God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
I’m
going to make a few more statements.
Once again, keep track of your true / false balance.
It
is possible to do things right.
If
I trust in God, I can find the right way for me.
Some
things are easier for me to forgive than others.
The
way I pray feels right for me.
Following
a set of guidelines makes it easier for me to feel close to God.
I
am a sinner and God loves me anyway.
I
am committed to trying to follow Christ.
Congratulations. If you answered true to at least one of these
statements, you are on your way to being a tax collector.
Being
a Pharisee is easy. It is
comfortable. It is not dangerous. No one can hurt me when I know I’m right.
Being
a tax collector is risky. As a tax
collector I have to put myself out there.
I have to invite others to attack me.
I have to expect that I will do it wrong much of the time.
I
have to hope that at least occasionally I am doing it right.
Thanks
be to God!
