Sunday spot: on humility in prayer
This morning at St Begh's abbey the gospel and sermon concerned the parable of the pharisee and the taxgatherer at prayer.
Tax-collectors in the ancient world had an even worse reputation than they do today, often with reason. The parable has the pharisee praying to God "Lord thank you for making me a good person, not a wicked sinner like this tax-gatherer."
Meanwhile the tax-gather beats his breast, does not even dare approach the alter, and prays for mercy on himself as a humble sinner. Our lord concluded by telling his audience that it was the tax-gatherer, who knew that he was a sinner and asked forgiveness, not the proud priest, whose prayer was pleasing to God.
There is a similar story, told as a joke but with much the same inner meaning, which inverts this parable: the version I am about to quote is set in a synagogue but it could be told of the senior and junior people in any place of worship.
A Pharisee, a senior priest, comes up before the high altar of the synagogue, gives a deep bow and cries out
"Lord, I have sinned and am no longer worthy to be called your son. Hear the prayer of a miserable sinner who begs for mercy. I abase myself in ashes."
He bows again and withdraws. Next, a Levite, a member of the priestly tribe, comes up before the high altar of the synagogue, gives a deep bow and cries out
"Lord, I have sinned and am no longer worthy to be called your son. Hear the prayer of a miserable sinner who begs for mercy. I abase myself in ashes."
He bows again and withdraws, Finally, the Shammes. e.g. caretaker, cleaner, and general factotum, comes up before the high altar of the synagogue, gives a deep bow and cries out
"Lord, I have sinned and am no longer worthy to be called your son. Hear the prayer of a miserable sinner who begs for mercy. I abase myself in ashes."
At which point the Levite gently nudges the Pharisee and whispers "Have you seen who's abasing himself? Getting a bit above himself, isn't he?"
Tax-collectors in the ancient world had an even worse reputation than they do today, often with reason. The parable has the pharisee praying to God "Lord thank you for making me a good person, not a wicked sinner like this tax-gatherer."
Meanwhile the tax-gather beats his breast, does not even dare approach the alter, and prays for mercy on himself as a humble sinner. Our lord concluded by telling his audience that it was the tax-gatherer, who knew that he was a sinner and asked forgiveness, not the proud priest, whose prayer was pleasing to God.
There is a similar story, told as a joke but with much the same inner meaning, which inverts this parable: the version I am about to quote is set in a synagogue but it could be told of the senior and junior people in any place of worship.
A Pharisee, a senior priest, comes up before the high altar of the synagogue, gives a deep bow and cries out
"Lord, I have sinned and am no longer worthy to be called your son. Hear the prayer of a miserable sinner who begs for mercy. I abase myself in ashes."
He bows again and withdraws. Next, a Levite, a member of the priestly tribe, comes up before the high altar of the synagogue, gives a deep bow and cries out
"Lord, I have sinned and am no longer worthy to be called your son. Hear the prayer of a miserable sinner who begs for mercy. I abase myself in ashes."
He bows again and withdraws, Finally, the Shammes. e.g. caretaker, cleaner, and general factotum, comes up before the high altar of the synagogue, gives a deep bow and cries out
"Lord, I have sinned and am no longer worthy to be called your son. Hear the prayer of a miserable sinner who begs for mercy. I abase myself in ashes."
At which point the Levite gently nudges the Pharisee and whispers "Have you seen who's abasing himself? Getting a bit above himself, isn't he?"
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