Other People

Jesus tells story after story, trying to get his followers to understand what it means to live as someone who follows his way. In the story today, we can perhaps hear the exaggerated caricatures of the Pharisee and the tax collector. How often are we like the Pharisee..patting ourselves on the back when we do something good? But, in doing so, we draw a line between ourselves and others. Nadia Bolz-Weber writes, “Every time we draw a line between us and others, Jesus is always on the other side of it.” When we boast that we’re not like them, the words come back to haunt..because Jesus is over there. How often are we like the tax collector..thinking we are s lost cause and tempted to give up on faith? In this story, both the Pharisee and the tax collector are shown grace. God’s mercy and love and grace is for everyone. That’s the surprise of this parable.

Luke 18:9-14
23 October 2022