Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jesus offers for our consideration two very different kinds of people. It is easy to condemn one and praise the other. But there is something of each of them in all of us.
First we take a look at the Pharisee. The Pharisees were a group of people in the time of Jesus who sincerely desired to do what was good, to be attentive to do God’s will, to be the best God called them to be. They lived according to the law of God as best as they could, making sure not to intentionally or unintentionally offend God in any way. They even went so far as to create directives, rules for the proper way of doing things so that they would always observe God’s law to the best of their ability, and be as far away as possible from even the slightest chance of disobeying God’s law, and therefore, offending God.
They knew all their prayers. They learned all their prayers when they were young, making sure to remember them and to pray them often and sincerely.
They took part in temple worship regularly. Every seventh day of the week, the day they called the Sabbath, they would go to pray with the whole community, to remember what God had done for them throughout their history, to tell the stories of their faith, to reinforce in each other the lessons that the prophets tried to teach.
They also contributed regularly from their financial resources. They understood it as a very appropriate way to share with others the blessings that God has shared with them, because with that money, other members of the community were able to assist the poor and those in need in the name of them all. It was an offering of thanksgiving, a way of saying “thank you” to God by giving to others who had less than they did.
They read the scriptures regularly. It wasn’t called the bible then yet. That would not happen for another two or three hundred years. It was mostly the writings of the patriarchs and the prophets, the psalms and wisdom books. But they studied these writings carefully, sometimes remembering specific important passages they would use to recall how God loved them very much.
They were taught to be outstanding citizens of society, people who were highly respected for their patriotism, their loyalty to God and country, their participation in the life of the community. In effect, they were to be role models, they were everything their mothers and fathers hoped they would grow up to be.
And even in their private lives, they were supposed to be blameless and irreproachable, because that was what they understood God called them to do. They were called at all times to live upright and moral lives.
And because of all these qualities, they easily became influential in many areas of community life, in religious observance as well as political life. And that was a good thing all around.
In contrast, there were people whom Jesus offers for our consideration who did not always concern themselves with doing their best in living a right relationship with one another and with God. They were not as meticulous in their observance of the law. They may not know all the prayers they were supposed to know. They did not attend temple worship as often as they should. And they likely did not give to the collection in any admirable fashion. They probably did not read the scriptures often, and probably studied it even less if at all. Overall, they were considered not-so-outstanding citizens. They were sometimes considered public sinners since they handled the collection of taxes for the Romans who were their oppressors. Because of the way they chose to conduct their lives and their business, they were often pushed to the fringes of society. Most decent people thought they were strange, weird, and unusual.
If we would choose the quality of person God calls us to be, one who would be “best” in God’s eyes, living by God’s standards, which one would seem the better to take of the two options? Like the Pharisee, we tend to concern ourselves more about our own standards rather than God’s. Yes, all these things are important, but Jesus tells us that there was something more important still. The Pharisee in the story was convinced that if he did all these things, it was enough. He was righteous in his own eyes. And if he was the “best” in his own eyes, he was convinced he was the “best” in God’s eyes.
Jesus reminds us that God’s standards are not ours. The tax collector grasped God’s heart and mind. He knew full well he didn’t do his best in many areas of life. But he was willing to own his shortcomings, admit he was not perfect, and begin the work of transformation. Is God convinced we grasp his heart and mind? If we did our best at all times, were obedient to the law, prayed regularly, went to church, gave to the poor, studied the bible, and showed by our living that God’s standards were our top priority, God above all else would know it. But we can never fool God. The Pharisee was too full of himself, convinced of his own righteousness. And Jesus said because of his humility the tax collector was justified in God’s eyes. It’s his story. It’s not for us to say otherwise.
St. Paul had experienced being abandoned by even his closest friends when he stood before a human tribunal. But despite his lack of defenders, he was confident God did not leave his side. “From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord will award to me on that day.” Since the day of his conversion, he had dedicated his entire life to proclaiming the teachings and example of his friend Jesus. And as he neared his appointed end, he felt very much an emptiness within his own self like a cup drained of its contents. He was truly not that concerned what other people thought of him. He believed he knew God’s mind and heart, and that God knew his.
This God St. Paul relied on is the same God we read about in the book of Sirach, a God of justice who knows no favorites, who hears the cry of the oppressed, who will not delay in affirming the right and judging justly. We know in the gospel of Jesus’ love for the poor, the weak, the children, and the marginalized, those who have only God to turn to. Those with abundant resources, health, and strength; and those who were highly regarded by others were likely to take all the credit themselves. And like the Pharisee they would have no shame waving their righteousness in God’s face. “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity.” The self-righteous will make no room for God because they are too full of themselves. Doesn’t God have more important things to say to us than we might say to God that God doesn’t already know? And when God speaks to us and we are truly attentive and listening, how can we not be transformed?
Rolo B Castillo © 2025