The Exchange

Luke 18: 9-14

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’

The question I tend to ask when reading scripture is not “What?” but rather, “Why?” In this particular reading, it would seem to be obvious as to why the tax collector went home justified rather than the Pharisee. Nobody enjoys being around someone who is self satisfied, self-righteous and arrogant about his or her accomplishments so why would God?  We all agree that being self-righteous is not a ‘nice’ way to be and that it is much more pleasant to hang out with someone who doesn’t act like he or she is the epitome of virtuous behavior that everyone else should emulate. Naturally, God would like the humble tax collector better than he would like the self-satisfied Pharisee. Anyone would. End of story. Lesson: don’t think too highly of yourself.

That doesn’t satisfy me. Yes, I agree that we should strive to not be self-satisfied prigs but I believe Jesus told this parable, and others like it, not only to wake people up to the fact that God isn’t impressed by our own manufactured acts of righteousness but also to teach us something about God’s desire to walk with his people in relationship. The lesson here is not that God won’t walk with you when you are self-sufficient; the lesson is that he can’t. There’s no room for him.

The tax collector went home justified or made righteous in the sight of God but the justification had nothing to do with what he did or did not do. It had everything to do with the capacity he had to receive the fullness of God into his heart. His actions were not what made him righteous; God was his righteousness. Scripture confirms this:

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’ (1 Corinthians 1:29,30)  

In the last reflection, I wrote that before Jacob wrestled with God, he could not receive God’s blessing because he was too full of himself and I specified that this did not necessarily mean that he was arrogant; it just meant that he relied too much on himself. We all do that to some degree or other and even being anxious about whether we're doing all the right things is placing ourselves just inside the cramped ring of self-sufficiency. When things aren’t going well for us we have inner checklists of all that we are doing right, wondering if we are missing something. We wonder if it’s something we are doing or not doing that is blocking God.  If God is not answering our prayers, it’s got to be our fault, right?

“Maybe if I went to reconciliation more often… Maybe if I prayed for half an hour instead of fifteen minutes… Maybe it’s because I lose my temper a lot or because I didn’t put as much in the collection plate as I normally do… Maybe it’s because I have inner criticisms of some people… Maybe, maybe, maybe…”

It is good to be good. But being good and doing good is not what makes us righteous or justified before God and it’s not what makes God respond to our prayers or makes him want to have relationship with us. The tax collector went home justified because he was empty enough, open enough and humble enough to receive God’s righteousness. The Pharisee, on the other hand, had all the justification he felt he needed – his own.  He knew the Mosaic Law and adhered to it faithfully. According to the law, he was clean, morally and ritually. He was ‘Spiritually Responsible’ and he was certain this was what procured God’s approval and made him righteous. But remember the parable Jesus told about the servant who did all he was supposed to do? He couldn’t claim a place at the Master’s table simply because he had done his job.

This gives us an idea of the amazing graciousness of God. He doesn’t fill us with his righteousness because we do all the right things but because he loves us so much that he desires to fill us with himself. He is our gift, our righteousness and our justification. Everything he gives us is pure gift given out of love, not out of obligation or as payment in kind.

There is a huge amount of relief in this understanding if one can grasp it. The idea that we do something in order to receive justification is putting the cart before the horse. We need to receive first and then our actions will flow naturally and beautifully from a heart full of gratitude. We need to understand there is nothing we could ever do to merit the gift of God’s righteousness. All he wants is for us to come to his table, poor, empty and hungry for him.

Listen to this passage from Isaiah 61:
(The Spirit of the Lord is upon me)  ... to comfort all who mourn, to provide for them that mourn in Zion, to give to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

He is glorified when we are poor enough and empty enough to receive him - and sometimes that means admitting before God that we have absolutely no capacity to do any of what we have been feeling responsible for doing: letting go of the past, forgiving, trusting, serving, understanding or believing. We can only be open and empty. We can only wait on him and be willing to participate in the mystic love exchange, which is ashes, grief and despondency for his beauty, joy and a spirit of praise.

Do you get it? He is our righteousness - everything he is and has is available to us just because he loves us and all we're required to do is give up, let go, be empty and revel in our poverty.

If ever there was a reason to celebrate, this is it.