Sermon prepared for
By Gregory S. Kaurin,
Co-pastor
The
Pharisees & the Tax Collectors:
All One Big
Happy Family
Text: Luke
18:9-14
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First, let me say
this about today’s scripture. There was
nothing inherently wrong with being a Pharisee or a tax collector. Their problems were not who they were, but
how they had behaved.
I mention this
because, before I get into the meat of today’s message, I want to make a simple
point. Just as there was nothing inherently
wrong with being Pharisee or a tax collector, there is—in our own day—nothing
inherently wrong with being an accountant or an auditor. There is nothing inherently wrong with being
a religion or even a philosophy professor.
Believe it or not, there is nothing inherently wrong with being a
lawyer, a politician, a pastor, a stay-at-home mom or dad, black or white or
multi-racial, intellectual, mechanical, sporty, mentally or physically
handicapped, male, female, single, married, divorced or widowed, biological or
adopted, child, young adult, or senior.
I would venture to guess that all of us fit in that list somewhere. This
story catches and holds us all.
So, for today, as
I move into the heart of today’s sermon, let’s agree to put aside the cynicism,
the jokes and divisions that we make about each other. We come together this morning, as a family,
an adopted family, and we are called to act… like a family.
As I was studying
this passage, this parable that Jesus told about a Pharisee and a Tax Collector,
the phrase that kept jumping out at me was the way Jesus first described these
two. “The Pharisee,” Jesus said, “was
standing by himself.” And the tax
collector, he said, was standing far off.
Separated, each alone. But this
was not an aloneness that had anything to do with just physical space. The point Jesus was making was that the
Pharisee stood alone in his arrogance, and the tax collector, in his shame and
grief, stood far off.
This story could
have been, and should have been, so different.
There they stood, within sight of each other, at least close enough that
the Pharisee pointed him out and said, “Thank God I’m not like this tax
collector here.” This story could have
been, and should have been, so different.
The Pharisees’ sin was greater than his arrogance; it was his inaction,
his unwillingness to go and help someone in obvious hurt and need.
Today, I know for
a fact that some of you, sitting here, for many reasons, you feel alone. And just like the Pharisee and tax collector,
you are surrounded by people, and yet you still feel separated. And others of you, if you are feeling AOK
right now, I can absolutely guarantee to you that there is someone sitting near
you, right now, maybe even within your arms’ reach, who is feeling separate and
alone.
If you are
hurting or angry or lonely, I would like to encourage you to stop sitting and
stewing alone in your own grief or hurts or anger. It is time to reach out, get help. Way too many of us say, or excuse ourselves
by saying, “Well that’s just not me, or I don’t like to burden others with my
problems.”
I also know that
a major reason we are afraid to ask for help is because we have all been burned,
some of us more than others. And some of
us have even been burned right here in our own church, and sometimes even in
our own families.
Families, when
there are difficulties and challenges, families are ideally supposed to close
ranks to help that person, or to work through any problems. But there is a tendency, in families and in
churches, instead to look for and find the person/s to blame, to avoid or
excise those problem people from us, or to withdraw ourselves from those people or that situation. To emotionally or physically separate. To stand separate.
But, no! Problems are rarely a people problem; they
are almost always a family problem. And
as a family, in tough times, or when someone does something wrong, we are to
come together, be there for each other, even if we do not always agree, not to
condone anything, but to work through it, together.
Some time ago,
one of our volunteer organizers here at church was calling members to ask them
if they’d be willing to be ushers at an upcoming service. I was very unhappy to hear that, while most
people were polite and kind on the phone, several people turned her down with
irritation and harsh words. “Don’t call
us again!” Needless to say, she no
longer calls people to volunteer for anything anymore… It hurts too much,
especially coming from her own church family members. It bothers me that—not just in our church,
but just about every church—volunteer coordinators are told that one of their
job requirements is a tough skin.
A number of years
ago, I was interviewing in a small church, not this one, and from that call
committee several times I heard them say, “We need a pastor with a tough
skin.” Well, I know that pastors need to
have a strong sense of self, and an ability to weather criticism, constructive
or not, but I knew that they had been through several pastors in recent years,
and I finally had to ask them, “How are you letting people treat your pastors
that they need to be so tough, and should you, as congregational leaders really
condone that kind of behavior?”
Now, I need to
tell you, that there are incredible amounts of love and support flowing in all
directions here at
This is
Church. More important than pet peeves,
or styles or clothing, we are talking about matters of faith, salvation and
soul, things that are the deepest center of who we are. And lots of us are sensitive, and even
over-sensitive. So, of course, we are
going to hurt each other’s feelings from time to time. On occasion, we will misunderstand, or disagree
or even lose our tempers right here in this building.
The truth is, you
do not have to say “yes” to every request.
You don’t need to tiptoe, or endorse wrong ideas or behavior; but we
should be able to say to each other, “I can’t do what you are asking me to do,
I don’t agree with you, or what you are doing or saying is wrong, …but I will
stand by you. I will listen to you. I will think about what you are saying or
asking, I will worship beside you. I
will forgive you. I will exchange the
peace of Christ with you, and mean it.
We are in this together. We are
family. We will find a solution.”
We are many
people of many tastes, needs and preferences.
We come to church with many ideas as to what is worshipful and reverent,
many ideas as to what we believe church is for or what it should be like, and
depending on where we are in life, those ideas and needs change every week.
But there is
something that doesn’t change. Week
after week, God brings us here for each other.
And if you still feel alone, after all this, search your heart, your
life, find out and admit the thing or things that are separating you, and ask
for help. And not just from God in your
silent prayer, but ask for help from the people through whom God works:
parents, teachers, pastors and youth directors, doctors, nurses, psychiatrists
and psychologists, tax collectors and Pharisees, accountants and insurance
agents.
(And, on a side
note, if the cost of seeing a professional counselor has been stalling you,
talk to Pastor Steve or to me; MLC has memorial funds that generous
congregation members have given for exactly that purpose.)
Jesus unites
us. And even when you leave this
building, this church today, whether you are a member or a guest, you will not
leave alone, we the church go with you.
We are united under the name of Christ, by his forgiveness and by his
salvation. Wherever you go, we go with
you.
The story of the
Pharisee and the tax collector will be different for us. We do not need to stand apart. At the name of Jesus, we are brought together. We have prayed and admitted our sins
together. We have listened to God’s word
together, and together we are forgiven.
We will walk home justified, with God and a part of this family.
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