False Piety

“Jesus addressed this parable
to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.”

Luke 18:9

It can be a temptation for regular churchgoers to think perhaps we might be in some way better than those who only go to Church once in a while or never at all. This can be dangerous territory. Absolutely. Should we go to Church every Sunday? Absolutely. Is it good that we go to Church every Sunday? Does it make us any better? Not necessarily.

The answer lies in the intention that is within our heart. Why do we go to Church? Because we have to? Because it’s an obligation? What do I do at Church? Do I simply stand when others stand, sit when others sit, kneel when others kneel, and say the responses from memory? Our physical bodies may be in those pews, but where are our hearts?

In the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Jesus discusses the concept of “self-righteousness” and the eternal consequences of that. Both went up to the Temple area to pray, but only one actually prayed, while the other boasted about himself. Although the Pharisee went to the Temple, his heart was not set on God, but rather on all of the good things he thinks he is doing. On the other hand, the tax collector in his humility and perhaps even in his shame, bows down his head and pleads for mercy to God. Both were in the same place, in the same sacred space, but only one for the right reason. God only heard the tax collector because only the tax collector was talking with Him from his heart. Who do we talk to when we pray?

Brothers and sisters, where are our hearts? Do we focus on what we have done and the many good things we may be doing or do we focus on the many good things God has done for us, through us, and in us? Prayer is not about talking at God, but rather talking with God. True piety requires humility and knowing that we are not perfect and are in need of God’s mercy. Let us take a good look at our hearts today and invite God inside, confident that He will hear us and have mercy on us.

“I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14).

Cleansing Faith

“Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of Elisha, the man of God.
His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child,
and he was clean of his leprosy.”

2 Kings 5:14

As Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem, ten lepers approached Him. What do you think they said to Jesus? Probably, “Please heal us of our leprosy!” right? But that was not what they said. Instead, the exclaimed, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” This group of lepers likely consisted of both Galileans and Samaritans, yet they called out to Jesus as their Master. This would have been a very big step for the Samaritans “for Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans” (John 4:9b). In fact, the Samaritans strongly disliked the Jews for what they did to them in the past, including destroying their temple! So, for the Samaritan leper to not only reach out to Jesus, but also to call Him Master was unthinkable. Even non-Jews acknowledged Jesus as Master and Lord, and it was this faith that cleansed them.

The cleansing and saving power of Jesus is not limited to only a select group of people. It is extended to all who calls upon Him, all who reaches out to Him, and all who puts their faith in Him. Just as we hear about Naaman, the servant of a foreign king, who at the word of the Prophet Elisha, bathed in the water and was cleansed of his leprosy, so too the lepers who approached Jesus were cleansed as they ran to the priest at His command. In the same way, we too may be healed from whatever is plaguing us if we believe that Jesus and His love for us.

Is there something that is weighing on you that is keeping you from approaching God? What is the leprosy that is eating away at you? Look up and call out to the Lord, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on me!” knowing that He hears you and looks at you with love and compassion, and desires only to heal you. But, He cannot unless you allow Him to and welcome Him into your heart. May we ask for the faith that moved Naaman and the Samaritan leper to call out to God because when we do, and when we truly believe, that faith will become a faith that cleanses us and sets us free.

Status of Faith

“The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’
The Lord replied,
‘If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.’”

Luke 17:5-6

How would you describe your faith? Would your answer include answers such as “strong” or “weak?” Or would they include some other adjectives or phrases? In my own experience, most people would describe their faith with an answer somewhere on the spectrum of strong and weak. Some may also describe their faith with either “having a lot of faith” or "having a little bit of faith.” The truth is faith is not necessarily something that can be really quantified. There may be more of a qualitative component, but faith is something that goes beyond what is quantitative or qualitative. Faith is something that is deep within the recesses of our hearts, a response that calls out from the depths of our hearts to the Voice that constantly calls out to us.

Along the way, the Apostles asked Jesus to “increase their faith” to which Jesus replied if they were to have faith the size of a mustard seed, even the mulberry tree would obey them. It is not the size of one’s faith that matters, but rather how one cultivates and nurtures it. Like a muscle that is already in our bodies, we do not really “add muscles” but rather we strengthen and grow our muscles through training and exercise. Faith can not really be “added” but only “strengthened” through prayer and exercise of our faith.

So, what is the status of your faith? Has it been exercised lately? Has it been nurtured? Again, we can nurture our faith by praying, talking with God and allowing Him to speak to us. We can exercise our faith by allowing prayer to move us to works of service and mercy. Do we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned, encounter the homeless, and comfort the grieving? Do we share the Good News with others?

May we take some time today to examine the status of our faith and ask the Lord not to increase our faith, but rather to give us the grace and strength to practice and nurture our faith.