Reading Referenced
Luke 18:9-14
Bottom Line
“What God likes best, is our beautiful mess”
The Pharisee has deceived himself that he can earn the Father’s love, and that presumption means he’s not justified i.e. his soul is in jeopardy. Many regular Catholic church-goers feel this way about God and approach him, checklist in hand, with the assumption that they are justified.
The tax collector’s attitude of humility before God stems from an understanding that God the Father knows him, sins and all. He has confidence approaching God because he knows God will forgive him and always love him. For this reason he goes away justified.
What should the older brother hear?
You might have grown up thinking that if you check the right boxes, or avoid the right sins that God will be pleased with you – and he is – but God wants more than your obedience. He wants you.
It is easy to fall into the trap of “doing” rather than “being”, that is, of keeping busy with good works and avoiding “big sins” while missing the point: God wants YOU more than what you are offering.
It’s easy for life-long Catholics to look down upon those with troubled lives, who have stopped practicing the faith, or who behave badly. The virtue of humility puts us all on a level field – guilty of sin and deserving death, but hopeful in the mercy and love of God the Father.
What should the younger brother hear?
God the Father loves you. You can trust him enough to come to him with your sinfulness. It is safe to “come as you are.”
Pretending everything is okay when it’s not is not going to help you. Be honest with God. Trust in his goodness.
You can’t earn the Father’s love.
Your own father might have failed you, or hurt you. God is not equal to your earthly father – he sees you, he knows you, and will never leave you.
Action Item
Remember that person who is far from God whom you have been praying for? Your challenge is: tell that person that you have been praying for them. Be prepared for a follow-up conversation!
Questions
Which qualities (or flaws) of the two men in this story do you see in yourself at times?
How might the prayer of the tax collector change our relationship with God, and our prayer life, if we were to adopt it?
Personal story ideas or suggestions
We call priests “Father” for a reason. Part of the reason for this familial term is to emphasize that aspect of the role of the priest in the life of his “children”.
Have you ever had a particularly “fatherly” experience in your personal ministry?
How does seeing parishioners as your “children” change how you relate to them?
What was your relationship like with your own dad?
Relevant Cultural References and Links
The Father-Wound (Focus on the Family)
