Honest Before God

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇 𝟏𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐃 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟏: 𝐇𝐨𝐬 𝟔:𝟏-𝟔

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟓𝟏:𝟑-𝟒, 𝟏𝟖-𝟐𝟏 “𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐈 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞.”

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐋𝐊 𝟏𝟖:𝟗-𝟏𝟒

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞: “𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐝.” (𝐯.𝟏𝟒) 

         No two people are alike. Even for twins there remains a thing or two that makes one different from the other. Such dissimilarities in the people’s DNA at times is what leads to disagreements and even deadly conflicts such as what is currently going on in the Middle East.

         And today’s Gospel passage is a beautiful lesson not only on the manner with which we are to pray but also in the way that we get on with our lives.

         Yesterday, we dwelt on loving our neighbor as the best test of our love for God because we cannot possibly love God without loving those that he also created (𝐌𝐤 𝟏𝟐:𝟑𝟎-𝟑𝟏)..

         And today, as we step deeper into the Lenten Season Jesus gives us a timely lesson that will help us establish our identities as Christian disciples. While all created beings were created in the image and likeness of God (𝐆𝐞𝐧 𝟏:𝟐𝟔) each one of us is unique and God made us one-of-a-kind. One very remarkable proof of our uniqueness is that no two people have the same fingerprints or ears for that matter.

        But what really makes us different from the person beside us is something that we cannot see but which God sees – our souls. This is what makes us unique and different. God gave us different gifts, and we are to make use of these gifts for the upbuilding of the body of Christ to which we are grafted.

        Sadly, however, it is also our being distinct to one another that sometimes moves us to compare ourselves with others and we may not be aware that this habit of 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴 has already afflicted us especially if this attitude turns into a way of life.

        To think that we are better, smarter and more talented than others should not be regarded as just a feeling or an opinion because this attitude is most certainly rooted in envy which is a sin. Perhaps we are envious of our neighbor over a new car, his job that fetches a higher salary than yours, a new designer dress, a branded bag, or it could even be an inheritance.

        What we may not be aware of is that if we persist in doing this, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴 will only lead us to a loveless and heartless pursuit of life. In other words, we will turn into a “Christ-less” person instead of being Christ-like which is supposed to be our original nature and identity. We must confront this attitude if ever this is happening to us and the worst that could happen is to turn away and be in denial because if we do that, we are teetering on the edge of living a loveless life. 

        Those afflicted with this disease are those who are fueled by vanity and their incessant desire to seek admiration for themselves and belittling others in the process. But 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴 is not a new disease. It is an ancient disease and can be traced all the way to the time of Jesus as we read in this parable.

        This was the reason why St. Paul recognized how deadly this disease and has given us an antidote when he said: “𝐃𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮.” (𝐑𝐨𝐦 𝟏𝟐:𝟑) What Paul is saying is that we should not see ourselves as how others see us but how God sees us.

         In effect, what is important is how God will define us and God is not particular about our gender, ethnicity, family heritage, possessions, achievements, titles because these are not important to God. It’s all about how willing we are to allow the Grace of God to be at work in us (𝟏 𝐂𝐨𝐫 𝟏𝟓:𝟏𝟎).

        Jesus is thus using this parable to teach us the real value of prayer as he pointed to the Pharisee who went to the church in this parable “𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟: 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐧 – 𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐬 – 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐱 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫. 𝐈 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐈 𝐠𝐞𝐭.” (𝐯.𝟏𝟏-𝟏𝟐).

         The Pharisee that Jesus cited in this parable did not actually go to God to pray as he not only prayed with himself, but he went to the Temple to inform God of what he does while at the same time comparing himself with those around him whom he believes were irreligious.

         What this Pharisee forgot was the most basic premise of prayer which is to pray with humility acknowledging our own weakness and unworthiness. “𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐬; 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥; 𝐍𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰 𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬.” (𝐒𝐢𝐫 𝟑𝟓:𝟐𝟏). Prayer is an act of humility, for by it we testify to a sense of our dependence upon the Lord who rules the heaven above and earth below.

         In other words, we should assume the position of a beggar knocking at the door of the Almighty God our Father just as the Tax Collector did standing at a distance who did not even look up to heaven “but beat his breast and said, “𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝, ‘𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞, 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫.” (𝐯.𝟏𝟑).

         The difference between these two characters in this parable was that the Tax Collector knew how despised he was and how others looked at him and he looked to God so that he could see himself properly and his admission of his sin brought God’s forgiveness and restoration upon him.

          Self-righteousness as what the Pharisee did is a dangerous preoccupation because it not only leads to pride, but it makes us despise others that prevents us from hearing what God is telling us.

         The Tax Collector showed us the path we need to take to discover our real identity for it is only in being honest with ourselves that we can become more like Christ. Let me tell you this, we can avoid the sin of 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴 by being content with what God has given us.

          I am not saying that I am better than anyone else but never in my life have I compared myself with others nor was there a time I envied others. I did this by simply looking at what God has given me, being content with what I have and, made use of the gifts that God has given me knowing that each one of us is unique and that no two people are alike, both in appearance, character and more so in what we have and possess.

         Some may be more blessed than us and we must live with it because God designed it to be. In other words, when you live a life that is yielded to God, there will no room for either envy or comparing yourself with others because your focus will be on God and God alone.

         This Season of Lent is a great opportunity for all of us to be content with our being unique. We must come to terms of who we are and the purpose for which God made us for “𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠” (𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯 𝟑:𝟏𝟑).

         God didn’t make us to become a carbon copy of the person beside us. God’s desire if for us to become the best of what we can be with the gifts that he has entrusted to us. And one of the ways to become what God intended us to be is to develop the character traits of Jesus – his love and compassion, honesty, integrity, credibility, and above all his humility and obedience. And we must keep in mind that our calling is to serve others and not to impress others. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 - 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 14, 2026)