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SCRIPTURE REFLECTION

Luke 10: 1-9 

The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few.

This week’s gospel passage flows on directly from last week’s gospel and continues the teaching of Jesus about prayer. Whereas the preceding passage emphasised the need for persistence inprayer, this passage is about the way inwhich we come before God in prayer. It is the tax collector, whose simple prayer is “God, be merciful to me, a sinner,” who goes home at rights with God. In this simple prayer, the tax collector recognises that he is not in right relationship withGod and asks for God’s mercy. This is a hallmark of the lowly and outcast in the gospel of Luke: they recognise their need and seek God’s forgiveness and mercy. The model of faith that is depicted overand over again in this gospel is the one who recognises their need for God’s loving mercy and ask for it.

 We are repeatedly reminded that God’s mercy, forgivenessand abundant love are constantly outflowing towards us and all we have to do ishumbly desire and welcome them. Humility is at the heart of this parable. The Pharisee is representative of those whoare assured of their own rightness but whorely on comparison with others to makethemselves feel righteous and justified.

 The actions of this man were not limited to Pharisees alone, nor are they limited to a particular time and place. This man’s attitude of asserting his own faithfulness and religious observance by comparison with others can be easily seen in the world today. 

All faiths seem to be afflicted withthese characters who assure themselves of their own ‘goodness’ by railing against those who are different. But, as the parable assures us, it is the humble who are exalted by God.

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