20160116 20160116 COMPASSION IS NOT ONLY FOR BLATANT SINNERS BUT ALSO THE
SELF-RIGHTEOUS SINNERS
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Green.
|
First reading
|
|
1 Samuel
9:1-4,17-19,10:1 ©
|
Among the men of
Benjamin there was a man named Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of
Becorath, son of Aphiah; a Benjaminite and a man of rank. He had a son named
Saul, a handsome man in the prime of life. Of all the Israelites there was no
one more handsome than he; he stood head and shoulders taller than the rest of
the people. Now some of the she-donkeys of Saul’s father Kish had strayed, so
Kish said to Saul, ‘My son, take one of the servants with you and be off; go
and look for the she-donkeys.’ They passed through the highlands of Ephraim and
passed through the land of Shalishah, but did not find them; they passed
through the land of Shaalim, they were not there; they passed through the land
of Benjamin, but did not find them.
When
Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, ‘That is the man of whom I told you; he
shall rule my people.’ Saul accosted Samuel in the gateway and said, ‘Tell me,
please, where the seer’s house is?’ Samuel replied to Saul, ‘I am the seer. Go
up ahead of me to the high place. You are to eat with me today. In the morning
I shall take leave of you and tell you all that is in your heart.
Samuel
took a phial of oil and poured it on Saul’s head; then he kissed him, saying,
‘Has not the Lord anointed you prince over his people Israel? You are the man
who must rule the Lord’s people, and who must save them from the power of the
enemies surrounding them.’
|
Psalm
|
Psalm 20:2-7 ©
|
O Lord, your
strength gives joy to the king.
O Lord, your strength
gives joy to the king;
how your
saving help makes him glad!
You have granted him
his heart’s desire;
you have
not refused the prayer of his lips.
O Lord, your
strength gives joy to the king.
You came to meet him
with the blessings of success,
you have
set on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked you for life
and this you have given,
days that
will last from age to age.
O Lord, your
strength gives joy to the king.
Your saving help has
given him glory.
You have
laid upon him majesty and splendour,
you have granted your
blessings to him forever.
You have
made him rejoice with the joy of your presence.
O Lord, your
strength gives joy to the king.
|
Gospel
Acclamation
|
Ps118:36,29
|
Alleluia, alleluia!
Bend my heart to your
will, O Lord,
and teach me your
law.
Alleluia!
|
Or
|
Lk4:17
|
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord has sent me
to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty
to captives.
Alleluia!
|
Gospel
|
Mark 2:13-17 ©
|
Jesus went out to the
shore of the lake; and all the people came to him, and he taught them. As he
was walking on he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus, sitting by the customs house,
and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
When
Jesus was at dinner in his house, a number of tax collectors and sinners were
also sitting at the table with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many of
them among his followers. When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating
with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat
with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this he said to them, ‘It is
not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the
virtuous, but sinners.’
COMPASSION
IS NOT ONLY FOR BLATANT SINNERS BUT ALSO THE SELF-RIGHTEOUS SINNERS
SCRIPTURE
READINGS: 1 SM 9:1-4.17-19; 10:1; PS 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; MK 2:13-17
When we
read today’s gospel, our immediate reaction is to condemn the scribes and
the Pharisees for their lack of compassion for sinners. By so
doing, we are implicitly suggesting that we are not like them!
In
condemning them, we ironically become more self-righteous than them. It
shows our inability to empathize and sympathize with the scribes and
the Pharisees. Have we tried to feel their abhorrence for the
tax-collectors? Do we understand why they felt that way towards
them? Unless we appreciate the situation at that time, we will not be
able to enter into the mind and heart of the Pharisees. The truth is that
the tax-collectors were people who were worse than their enemies. They
were traitors to their own people. How could you expect them to accept
the tax-collectors when they were freely cooperating with the Romans to tax
their own kind? As if this was not bad enough, they were extorting more
than they were legally obliged to pay. By cheating them, they deserved to be
despised and hated.
Perhaps,
we are not able to feel with them as we do not have to deal with tax-collectors
in our midst. Nevertheless, we all know how it is to be betrayed by people
closest to us. When they betray us, take advantage of our
vulnerability, do we not feel hurt? No one can hurt us more than the
people we most love and trust. Even if they were not our loved ones, to
be victimized or betrayed by our boss, colleague or even church friends,
whether in money, relationship, or confidentiality, we are shaken. When
we experience such betrayals, we find it difficult to forgive.
But to
add salt to our wound, how would you feel if another of your close friend or
sibling continues to treat this so-called sinner or traitor of yours with
warmth, love and compassion? Would you not be angry that they did not
treat them in like manner as yourself – ostracize them, give them the
punishment they deserve? So we can imagine how scandalized the
Pharisees were when Jesus ate and drank with the tax-collectors and
sinners. In so doing, Jesus was symbolically accepting them into the
friendship of God and the community. But in the Pharisees’ eyes, such
people should be treated as outcasts, excluded from the community and from the
love of God. As far as they were concerned, sinners were not fit to belong
to the community and could not be forgiven.
But
why did Jesus reach out to the sinners? How could He tolerate them, knowing the evil and
sufferings they were bringing on their own people? Was not Jesus also
incensed by their disloyalty as well? It was because Jesus was able
to see deeper into the wounds of the sinners and the tax collectors. He
could understand and empathize with them. He knew that in their
sinfulness and betrayals, they were blinded, ignorant, insecure, and enslaved
by their selfishness. It is true that they were sinners but they could
not overcome their sinfulness. They were destroying themselves. He
knew how painful and lonely they were, being ostracized by their own
community. As a consequence, they also condemned themselves. Deep
in their hearts they were certainly not proud to ply this trade, but for
reasons of selfishness, fear or ignorance, they could not resist the temptation
to get easy money. Hence, Jesus said so appropriately, “It is not the
healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the
virtuous, but sinners.”
In the
light of Jesus’ solidarity with the tax-collectors, we can appreciate how
grateful the tax collectors were when Jesus accepted them. Jesus was
not saying that their conduct and dealings were correct or acceptable, but He
wanted them to know that He felt with them in their misery and
loneliness. No wonder, when Levi was called by Jesus, he answered
promptly. Perhaps, Levi all these years had no friends and when Jesus,
the Rabbi, the Holy One called him, he must have been so touched to think that
Jesus counted him worthy to be His disciple. The love and mercy of Jesus
must have overwhelmed him and the other tax-collectors, for we read that “a
number of tax collectors and sinners were also sitting at the table with Jesus
and his disciples; for there were many of them among his followers.”
However,
we must also not forget that the self-righteous are sinners in another way.
They too are sick. In fact, they are the real sinners because obvious
sinners like the tax-collectors knew that they were sinners and unworthy before
God. At least there is the possibility for repentance. The
self-righteous are sinners, but they do not know that they are, and therefore
cannot be healed or brought to repentance. They think so highly of
themselves, believing that they are blameless before God and therefore deserve
the reward of a blessed life from Him. But such an attitude also makes
them proud and arrogant. As a result, although apparently deserving
of God’s love, they are far from Him as they do not know His heart. They are
also far from the community, as they have excluded them from their lives.
Hence,
if we desire to be the holy ones of God, we must be careful that we are not
self-righteous in our attitude towards sinners. Otherwise, we
will be guilty of lacking in compassion and forgiveness. We must learn
from the mistake of Saul. He was “a handsome man in the prime of
life. Of all the Israelites there was no one more handsome than he; he
stood head and shoulders taller than the rest of the people.” He was even
anointed king by the prophet Samuel. But instead of being humbled by the
blessings of God, he became conceited and overconfident of himself.
Rather than using his gifts for the service of God and his countrymen, he was
consumed by power and glory.
Humility
before God through consciousness of our sinfulness, and confidence in His
unconditional love and mercy in Christ who comes for us all, will transform us
to be compassionate towards both sinners and the self-righteous.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Green.
|
First reading
|
|
1 Samuel
9:1-4,17-19,10:1 ©
|
Among the men of
Benjamin there was a man named Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of
Becorath, son of Aphiah; a Benjaminite and a man of rank. He had a son named
Saul, a handsome man in the prime of life. Of all the Israelites there was no
one more handsome than he; he stood head and shoulders taller than the rest of
the people. Now some of the she-donkeys of Saul’s father Kish had strayed, so
Kish said to Saul, ‘My son, take one of the servants with you and be off; go
and look for the she-donkeys.’ They passed through the highlands of Ephraim and
passed through the land of Shalishah, but did not find them; they passed
through the land of Shaalim, they were not there; they passed through the land
of Benjamin, but did not find them.
When
Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, ‘That is the man of whom I told you; he
shall rule my people.’ Saul accosted Samuel in the gateway and said, ‘Tell me,
please, where the seer’s house is?’ Samuel replied to Saul, ‘I am the seer. Go
up ahead of me to the high place. You are to eat with me today. In the morning
I shall take leave of you and tell you all that is in your heart.
Samuel
took a phial of oil and poured it on Saul’s head; then he kissed him, saying,
‘Has not the Lord anointed you prince over his people Israel? You are the man
who must rule the Lord’s people, and who must save them from the power of the
enemies surrounding them.’
|
Psalm
|
Psalm 20:2-7 ©
|
O Lord, your
strength gives joy to the king.
O Lord, your strength
gives joy to the king;
how your
saving help makes him glad!
You have granted him
his heart’s desire;
you have
not refused the prayer of his lips.
O Lord, your
strength gives joy to the king.
You came to meet him
with the blessings of success,
you have
set on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked you for life
and this you have given,
days that
will last from age to age.
O Lord, your
strength gives joy to the king.
Your saving help has
given him glory.
You have
laid upon him majesty and splendour,
you have granted your
blessings to him forever.
You have
made him rejoice with the joy of your presence.
O Lord, your
strength gives joy to the king.
|
Gospel
Acclamation
|
Ps118:36,29
|
Alleluia, alleluia!
Bend my heart to your
will, O Lord,
and teach me your
law.
Alleluia!
|
Or
|
Lk4:17
|
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord has sent me
to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty
to captives.
Alleluia!
|
Gospel
|
Mark 2:13-17 ©
|
Jesus went out to the
shore of the lake; and all the people came to him, and he taught them. As he
was walking on he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus, sitting by the customs house,
and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
When
Jesus was at dinner in his house, a number of tax collectors and sinners were
also sitting at the table with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many of
them among his followers. When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating
with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat
with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this he said to them, ‘It is
not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the
virtuous, but sinners.’
COMPASSION
IS NOT ONLY FOR BLATANT SINNERS BUT ALSO THE SELF-RIGHTEOUS SINNERS
SCRIPTURE
READINGS: 1 SM 9:1-4.17-19; 10:1; PS 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; MK 2:13-17
When we
read today’s gospel, our immediate reaction is to condemn the scribes and
the Pharisees for their lack of compassion for sinners. By so
doing, we are implicitly suggesting that we are not like them!
In
condemning them, we ironically become more self-righteous than them. It
shows our inability to empathize and sympathize with the scribes and
the Pharisees. Have we tried to feel their abhorrence for the
tax-collectors? Do we understand why they felt that way towards
them? Unless we appreciate the situation at that time, we will not be
able to enter into the mind and heart of the Pharisees. The truth is that
the tax-collectors were people who were worse than their enemies. They
were traitors to their own people. How could you expect them to accept
the tax-collectors when they were freely cooperating with the Romans to tax
their own kind? As if this was not bad enough, they were extorting more
than they were legally obliged to pay. By cheating them, they deserved to be
despised and hated.
Perhaps,
we are not able to feel with them as we do not have to deal with tax-collectors
in our midst. Nevertheless, we all know how it is to be betrayed by people
closest to us. When they betray us, take advantage of our
vulnerability, do we not feel hurt? No one can hurt us more than the
people we most love and trust. Even if they were not our loved ones, to
be victimized or betrayed by our boss, colleague or even church friends,
whether in money, relationship, or confidentiality, we are shaken. When
we experience such betrayals, we find it difficult to forgive.
But to
add salt to our wound, how would you feel if another of your close friend or
sibling continues to treat this so-called sinner or traitor of yours with
warmth, love and compassion? Would you not be angry that they did not
treat them in like manner as yourself – ostracize them, give them the
punishment they deserve? So we can imagine how scandalized the
Pharisees were when Jesus ate and drank with the tax-collectors and
sinners. In so doing, Jesus was symbolically accepting them into the
friendship of God and the community. But in the Pharisees’ eyes, such
people should be treated as outcasts, excluded from the community and from the
love of God. As far as they were concerned, sinners were not fit to belong
to the community and could not be forgiven.
But
why did Jesus reach out to the sinners? How could He tolerate them, knowing the evil and
sufferings they were bringing on their own people? Was not Jesus also
incensed by their disloyalty as well? It was because Jesus was able
to see deeper into the wounds of the sinners and the tax collectors. He
could understand and empathize with them. He knew that in their
sinfulness and betrayals, they were blinded, ignorant, insecure, and enslaved
by their selfishness. It is true that they were sinners but they could
not overcome their sinfulness. They were destroying themselves. He
knew how painful and lonely they were, being ostracized by their own
community. As a consequence, they also condemned themselves. Deep
in their hearts they were certainly not proud to ply this trade, but for
reasons of selfishness, fear or ignorance, they could not resist the temptation
to get easy money. Hence, Jesus said so appropriately, “It is not the
healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the
virtuous, but sinners.”
In the
light of Jesus’ solidarity with the tax-collectors, we can appreciate how
grateful the tax collectors were when Jesus accepted them. Jesus was
not saying that their conduct and dealings were correct or acceptable, but He
wanted them to know that He felt with them in their misery and
loneliness. No wonder, when Levi was called by Jesus, he answered
promptly. Perhaps, Levi all these years had no friends and when Jesus,
the Rabbi, the Holy One called him, he must have been so touched to think that
Jesus counted him worthy to be His disciple. The love and mercy of Jesus
must have overwhelmed him and the other tax-collectors, for we read that “a
number of tax collectors and sinners were also sitting at the table with Jesus
and his disciples; for there were many of them among his followers.”
However,
we must also not forget that the self-righteous are sinners in another way.
They too are sick. In fact, they are the real sinners because obvious
sinners like the tax-collectors knew that they were sinners and unworthy before
God. At least there is the possibility for repentance. The
self-righteous are sinners, but they do not know that they are, and therefore
cannot be healed or brought to repentance. They think so highly of
themselves, believing that they are blameless before God and therefore deserve
the reward of a blessed life from Him. But such an attitude also makes
them proud and arrogant. As a result, although apparently deserving
of God’s love, they are far from Him as they do not know His heart. They are
also far from the community, as they have excluded them from their lives.
Hence,
if we desire to be the holy ones of God, we must be careful that we are not
self-righteous in our attitude towards sinners. Otherwise, we
will be guilty of lacking in compassion and forgiveness. We must learn
from the mistake of Saul. He was “a handsome man in the prime of
life. Of all the Israelites there was no one more handsome than he; he
stood head and shoulders taller than the rest of the people.” He was even
anointed king by the prophet Samuel. But instead of being humbled by the
blessings of God, he became conceited and overconfident of himself.
Rather than using his gifts for the service of God and his countrymen, he was
consumed by power and glory.
Humility
before God through consciousness of our sinfulness, and confidence in His
unconditional love and mercy in Christ who comes for us all, will transform us
to be compassionate towards both sinners and the self-righteous.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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