HUMILITY-Luke 18:9-14

CS Lewis said: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less”.

I would like to offer my thoughts on humility when reading Luke 18:9-14. Seems to me the emphasis is on one’s attitude in prayer. Now, being humble for most people brings to mind a form of weakness. If someone practices humility, it means they’re not a “go-getter” and don’t care about performance or working hard. It’s the weak one who is humble. BUT, why do you suppose the Bible has so much to say contradicting this way of thinking? Maybe we’ve got it all wrong and the one who practices humility is actually the strong one?

Peter Our first Pope said “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, ...” – 1 Peter 5:6-7

In this reading from Luke we read about a Pharisee who is bit arrogant. He said:

'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity --
greedy, dishonest, adulterous -- or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.'

Now we can note that it is good to NOT be greedy, and NOT to be dishonest and NOT to commit adultery. And fasting is a good practice as well as paying tithes.

The Pharisee was praying in the temple, a holy place, a place to encounter God. But it seems he was not approaching God, so much as he was only listing his good qualities. He seemed to miss a connection with God and wasn’t really present with him in this sacred site. He was unchanged from when he went in. He was NOT thinking of himself less. Rather he was exalting himself.

Then we have the Tax collector. Jesus said in verse 14 “he who humbles himself will be exalted”. Tax collectors were despised by the Pharisees because they were allied with the Roman rulers, they were working for the enemy. They were outraged that Christ would speak and dine with them.

This tax collector was humble, he thought so much of his shortcomings as a sinner almost begging for mercy.

How many of you have left the confessional after bearing your soul? I bet you felt moved towards humility, maybe one of the sins you confessed was selfishness. And then you left thinking of yourself less, and more of others.

With that background how can we see ourselves in this gospel. I mean this was written 2000 years ago, and Jesus is talking about a Pharisee and a tax collector. I guess some of us could be a modern day tax collector-work for the IRS, but who is a Pharisee?

Yes, so, who is a Pharisee? I have to raise my hand (sheepishly) and acknowledge that at times I have acted as the Pharisee. Maybe I thought that I am doing everything according to the commandments, and the precepts of the Church. I could have said to myself “I go to Mass every Sunday, I tithe weekly, I go to reconciliation, I fast on the days I am supposed to, I pray in the morning and at night. Yet, if like the Pharisee I was not encountering God during these, then I was off the rails, and was losing my way. Seems to me that would have made me a “Pharisee”?

LET ME EMPHASIZE AT THIS POINT, the purpose of this parable is NOT to discourage religious and pious practice (we should do all that); rather its function is to remind us to Do all that with humility. We must be humble and recall the two greatest commandments:

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. AND

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

REMEMBER C.S. Lewis: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less”.

I suspect that many of you are already doing this without even being aware of it.

·         Young parents, you always put your children first, that is humility, thinking less of yourself.

·         Older Parents and Grandparents how you always have your adult children and grandchildren in your prayers-true humility

·         How about any of you that have had to give up work or other activities to care for an elderly parent-- thinking less of yourself

·         I bet some of you now or sometime in the past have had a job that your greatly disliked,  yet you hung in there day after day, not for yourself , but for your family humility- true humility.

This, humility then becomes a great temperament during the presentation of the gifts (during the Mass) when everyone presents, with Christ, his sufferings, joys and work- And our offerings help us to grow in sacrificial love as we move towards humility while thinking of ourselves less.  

This then becomes a great way to approach the table of the Lord-to receive the Eucharist-the body, blood, soul and divinity of our Lord

St. Paul wrote in Philippians 2 where he says “3 Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others”

Acting in humility, thinking of ourselves less when we pray as the Tax Collector, who would be upset at the end of our time on earth to hear Jesus proclaim “well done, good and faithful servant”.