Again, it is tempting to take a parable from Jesus as an invitation to be better than others, even when we know better.
For Sunday
Proper 25C
Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Reading
From Luke 18:9-14
“Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt”
Reflection
What does it mean to trust in yourself that you are righteous?
For the second straight week, we have a gospel passage that starts by introducing the reader to whom Jesus is telling a parable and why. Last week, it was “a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart” offered to the disciples.
This one is apparently for the self-consciously righteous? And those who regard others with contempt?
Do we need to split these ideas off or do they go together? I suspect, we feel compelled to do the former: wanting to give each other the benefit of the doubt. I mean, just because someone thinks they are righteous, that doesn’t mean they have contempt for others!
Unless, of course, that actually is what Jesus is saying. And it may be wise to consider that to be the case.
Jesus has made great effort throughout the gospel of Luke to describe the need to think beyond ourselves.
Particularly when it comes to faith and participating in our world.
We see this in the previous parable about the widow persisting in faith against an unjust judge: an act of defiance, not merely between two people, but between a powerless person and the powerful state.
This parable, again highlighting the different character of two people, is similarly inviting us, not to think only of our own lives, our own needs, and what individuals can do. But to once again consider others. And through that, show humility.
I am quite certain that the primary purpose of this parable is to remind us to be humble, to elevate humility, and ultimately to give context for the command to be humble.
But we cannot hope to be humble when we fail to consider that we aren’t the center of the story. Which, I think we all understand intellectually, if not politically.
We can come to grips with our righteousness and sinfulness together, as people, in community. This isn’t work we do alone. By ourselves. For ourselves. It is a group project. Which means acknowledging the dignity of others and ourselves.