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<div style="font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black">-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Judy <judy_boli@ecunet.org><br>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org><br>
Sent: Sat, Oct 26, 2019 9:28 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 25C: “The Pharisee and the Tax Collector”<br>
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<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">Dear Friends,</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"> </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “The Pharisee and
the Tax Collector” and is based on the gospel (Luke 18:9-14).<span> </span>Here it is: <span> </span></span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"> </span></strong></div>
<div style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Today we heard another of
Jesus’ parables- this time the one about the Pharisee and the tax
collector.<span> </span>It’s so very easy to put down
the Pharisee in this story, yet he really was a very good and religious man.<span> </span>In fact, he was in many ways more faithful to
his religion than we are to ours.<span> </span>Listen
to his list: he isn’t greedy; doesn’t lie or cheat or steal; and isn’t
unfaithful to his wife.<span> </span>He even goes
beyond the rules.<span> </span>He only has to fast
once a year (on the Day of Atonement), but he fasts twice a WEEK.<span> </span>He gives one-tenth of everything he earns,
not just one-tenth of his produce.<span> </span>He
goes to the temple twice a DAY to pray ( 9
AM and 3 PM ).<span> </span>Those are the positives.<span> </span>How does your faithfulness match his?<span> </span>How does mine?<span> </span>Not too well.<span>
</span>Now the negatives- did you hear his prayer- 6 “I’s” in it!<span> </span>It’s almost as if he is telling God how lucky
God is to have him on his team!<span> </span>On top
of that, he compares himself with the tax collector and thanks God that he is
not like that unfortunate person.<span> </span>In a
way, that probably came very naturally, because Jewish men prayed daily from
the time they were little boys thanking God that they weren’t born a dog or a
Gentile or a woman.</span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;"><span> </span>The tax collector, on the other hand, was really telling
the truth about himself.<span> </span>He reminds me
of an old, old story I heard (JokesWareHouse.com) about an encounter between
the pope and past-President Bill Clinton.<span>
</span>The meeting that was supposed to be short lasted for two days. Finally,
a weary President Clinton emerged to face the waiting news media.<span> </span>The president was smiling and announced the
summit was a resounding success. He said he and the pope agreed on 80% of the
matters they discussed. Then Mr. Clinton declared he was going home to be with
his family.<span> </span>A few minutes later, the
pope came out to make his statement.<span> </span>He
looked tired, and discouraged, and was practically in tears.<span> </span>Sadly he announced his meeting with the
President was a failure.<span> </span>Incredulous,
one reporter asked, “But your Holiness, President Clinton just announced the
summit was a great success and the two of you agreed on 80% of the items
discussed.”<span> </span>Exasperated, the pope
answered, “Yes, but we were talking about the Ten Commandments.”<span> </span>The tax collector would have been on the side
of Mr. Clinton, because he understood sin.<span>
</span>He had been a truly evil person- lying, cheating and stealing from his
fellow Jews, a traitor to his country.<span>
</span>Jesus ends the parable stating that only the tax collector went home
justified, which must have really surprised the people who were listening.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">What
was Jesus trying to teach us from this important parable?<span> </span>What changes do we need to make in our
lives?<span> </span>Check these out:</span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.25in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;"><span>1.<span style="font:7.0pt New;"> </span></span></span><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Our culture is not an excuse
for our behavior.</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;"><span> </span>Remember the prayer that the
Pharisee was taught to pray daily from his mother’s knee- thanking God that he
wasn’t born a dog or a Gentile or a woman?<span>
</span>That didn’t excuse him; and our cultural brainwashing won’t excuse
us.<span> </span>The summary of the law- “Love God;
love neighbor” and Jesus’ commandment, “Love one another as much as I have
loved you,” is the measure by which we will be judged.</span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.25in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;"><span>2.<span style="font:7.0pt New;"> </span></span></span><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Strive for excellence.</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;"><span> </span>It wasn’t the excellence of the Pharisee’s
commitment to trying to follow God that messed him up.<span> </span>It was his motivation- he did what he did to
prove how great he was.<span> </span>His behavior
wasn’t coming from his heart.</span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.25in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;"><span>3.<span style="font:7.0pt New;"> </span></span></span><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Don’t be selfish in your
prayer life.</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;"><span> </span>Don’t just pray for yourself and those you
love.<span> </span>There was a little girl who told
her mother she didn’t need to say her bedtime prayers- didn’t need anything
tonight.<span> </span>Don’t be like that child!<span> </span>Widen your prayer life.<span> </span>Praise God!<span>
</span>Thank God!<span> </span>Confess your sins.<span> </span>Pray for others, including those you do not
know.<span> </span>A friend noticed that her husband
changed his prayer life.<span> </span>He used to read
the Bible and pray every morning as soon as he got up while he was drinking his
coffee.<span> </span>Now he watched the news
first.<span> </span>When asked, he said that he
needed to watch TV to see who he should pray for, then he could do his devotions
as God intended.<span> </span>Very wise!<span> </span>So, inform yourself, watch the news or read
the paper.<span> </span>Then, ask God to heal and
bless those nearest and dearest to you.</span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.25in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;"><span>4.<span style="font:7.0pt New;"> </span></span></span><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Don’t compare yourself to
other people- compare yourself to the best that you can be, and compare
yourself to Jesus.</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;"><span> </span>When we do this, we won’t find
ourselves saying that we didn’t sin today.<span>
</span>Stephen Covey, author of the popular book “Seven Habits of Successful
People,” tells of riding a subway in New
York City .<span> </span>All
the passengers were reading or sleeping or sitting quietly until a man got on
with several children.<span> </span>The children were
unruly beyond measure.<span> </span>They were
fighting and throwing things.<span> </span>One of the
children grabbed a newspaper from the hands of one of the passengers!<span> </span>The father was doing absolutely nothing.<span> </span>While the children ran wild, the father was
just sat there staring off into space.<span>
</span>Covey knew his own children would never have acted like that, so he
finally decided to take action.<span> </span>He went
to the father and said, “Sir, we need your help.<span> </span>Your children are bothering people.<span> </span>Could you do something about it?”<span> </span>The man awoke as if from a daze and said,
“You're right.<span> </span>I guess I should do
something about it.<span> </span>We've just left the
hospital.<span> </span>Their mother just died.<span> </span>I really don't know what to think, and I
guess they're not handling it too well either.”- OUCH!<span> </span>Been there; done that.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent:.25in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">So,
copy the Pharisee’s faithfulness.<span> </span>Copy
the tax collector’s humility (facing reality).<span>
</span>Be the best that you can be and confess your sins when you are not.<span> </span>Compare yourself to Jesus, not those behind
you in your spiritual walk.<span> </span>(In other
words, focus on where you’re going, not where you’ve been.)<span> </span>Most of all, be lenient with other people and
reasonably tough on yourself.<span> </span>Understand
and forgive.<span> </span>May God bless us as we try
to live what we believe.</span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"> </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">For anyone who
is interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements are
posted on our parish’s web site under “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org/"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none;">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</span></a> .</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"> </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">Blessed preaching,</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">Judy Boli</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">St. Paul's Episcopal Church</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">Saginaw, Michigan</span></strong></div>
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