Title: Dignity and Worth
Scripture: Luke 18: 9-14
10/24/04 21st Sunday after Pentecost, Yr. C
Rev. Joy R. Haertig
Last week we heard the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge from the Gospel of Luke. We used William Herzog's book, Parables as Subversive Speech to guide us in unpacking the story in search of Jesus' original intent.
I will follow the same approach this week as I did last week, using Herzog's research in helping us find Jesus' parable behind Luke's parable, and then consider what it has to say to us today.
First, allow me to remind you what New Testament scholar William Herzog wrote about Jesus' use of parables (if you were here last week, please bear with me.)
“The parables were not earthly stories with heavenly meanings but earthy stories with heavy meanings, weighted down by an awareness of the workings of exploitation in the world of their hearers. The focus of the parables was not on a vision of the glory of the reign of God, but on the gory details of how oppression served the interests of a ruling class. [Parables], instead of reiterating the promise of God's intervention in human affairs, explored how human beings could respond to break the spiral of violence and cycle of poverty created by exploitation and oppression.” (Parables as Subversive Speech: Jesus as Pedagogue of the Oppressed, Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1994, page 3)
Herzog believes that Jesus would not explain his parables, only tell them. And so we look at today's parable without the beginning of Luke's words or the ending. This then is how it would read:
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself was praying thus, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people; thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
The Pharisee is standing in the temple in prayer, stating what is true. (Of course we do not know if he was praying out loud or not.) He is thankful that he is not a thief, a rogue or an adulterer or a tax collector. And if indeed he fasts twice a week and tithes, then he is doing even more than what is acquired of him. The Torah prescribes fasting for the Day of Atonement and a few other occasions but the Pharisees fasted twice weekly on Mondays and Thursdays, a custom started in recognition of Moses - exceeding “the positive commands of the law”. The same was apparently true with tithing. In tithing all of his income, this indicates he is even tithing all the food he purchases in case the producer has not tithed him or herself. This Pharisee is adhering to these practices at some personal cost. He is a good Pharisee, doing what is expected and more.
The comment he makes about the tax collector at the end of his prayer may seem a bit crass to our ears but what he says is no different than the popular sentiment.
Let's take a look at the tax collector. Herzog's knowledge of Greek tells us that the original word in the text was not tax collector but toll collector. Apparently tax collectors were not liked but toll collectors were even less liked because they was so directly linked to the Roman government. These men worked for wealthy retainers who made a bid on toll contracts and paid them in advance to the Roman government.
The toll collectors manned the “toll booths” on behalf of their retainers and had to make sure that their boss received their money back plus a profit, and if possible a little something for them selves to feed their families.
This set-up led to all kinds of extortion and dishonesty.
Toll collecting was listed among the despised trades and the collectors were deprived of a least some civic rights. Occupied by men that could find no other form of employment; they were subsistent-level employees, easily replaced but thankful to have something, despite being hated by their peers. (Herzog, page 187)
The Toll Collector comes to the temple and stands far off - (a sharp contrast to the Pharisee), but technically the toll collector should not be there in the first place. According to the laws of the temple these men were considered to be beyond the reach of repentance because repentance would require both restitution of all extorted funds plus one-fifth and the abandonment of their occupation. Ironically, even if the collector did want to repent, with a constantly changing public it was impossible to identify the people they had extorted in the first place. (Herzog, page 187) No matter what kind of a person the toll collector may have been, the system was set up against him.
The original hearers were most likely not, as Luke tells us, people who regarded themselves as better than others, but instead were THE people who were regarded as beyond help. Jesus is showing how they could enter the temple and refuse to consent to the shaming of an unjust system. The toll collector enters the temple and turns to God for mercy rather than the mercy of the temple system.
Through the avenue of a story Jesus is saying,
“Don't believe it! You are not beyond help!” “God's love isn't just for the clean or the one who has money to put in the offering plate or the one that comes to church every week or can quote their scripture verses! God's love and mercy is free flowing, a gift that neither you nor the rabbi or the preacher, the executive or the president can dole out to only those that they think deserve it! No one is powerless, no one is choice-less or useless and no one has the right to make anyone believe they might be!”
Jesus' uses parables to light a fire under those whose flames are close to going out. He helps them see how the political and religious systems in which they live can be misused by those in authority. He shows them that their liberation begins by the steps forward they choose to take, thus they are not as powerless as they may have thought.
I am reminded of a quote from Marian Wright Edelman I read recently:
“We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences we cannot foresee.”
So what are we to do with this parable today?
I see the issue of social class and how harmful it was then and how harmful it still is today. Part of the chasm between the toll collector and the Pharisee was social class and the judgements and limitations that accompany it and there was little if any opportunity to move from one class to the other.
We cannot deny the reality of social class in our society either, but we tend to believe the lines are permeable. I am NOT convinced that this is really true across the board BUT because we think it is true, when we do not climb the ladder of success we see it as a personal failure. The personal shame and pain that accompanies financial or employment difficulties in our country is very real.
In an article I read by Karen Bloomquist in a magazine called “The Other Side”, she writes:
“There is a pervasive fear of being summoned to a hidden bar of judgement where one will be found inadequate. Individuals feel personally responsible for failing.”
There is a lot of unspoken pressure that people in the work force feel about being found inadequate. And those looking for work, feel the pressure even more.
Jesus' parable challenges our whole notion of class and works righteousness. As people of faith we claim a different truth - we claim that dignity and self-worth is not something that we make for ourselves, it is a gift and a given - from God. AND we are not called to be in competition with one another, but in community with one another, using our gifts on behalf of the common good, not our own individual gain. Living this truth can help ensure our sense of health and wholeness even in the midst of challenging circumstances.
If your dignity and integrity is not valued in your work place and the degree of competition between colleagues is high then in order to keep a sense of personal dignity and worth you have to look for what you can control. You have the choice to leave that work place and search for one that is more ethical and community oriented in its approach. Or you can take steps to ensure your own dignity and integrity through your attitude about yourself and how you interact with others - regardless of how they are interacting with you.
In the paper this morning I read an article about a book written by Jean Lipman-Blumen called The Allure of Toxic Leaders. She puts the responsibility for change in the work place on both the leaders and the followers. She believes that we can not stand back and complain or hide in fear because of our need for security or certainty or use the excuse of being too busy to care about the ethics of a work place. She challenges “followers” to get involved. Her message sounds a lot like Jesus' parable doesn't it? I love finding the Gospel in the morning paper!
And for those that are faced with unemployment, I know that this can be a time when one's dignity and sense of worth can be vulnerable. This may sound kind of corny, but I encourage you to write yourself sticky notes in places where you happen to frequent, with these words printed on it:
“Dignity and self-worth are gifts from God, they are a given, no one can take that away from me.”
Or ask a friend to call you up every other day and remind you of that Truth.
And finally, in considering the issue of works-righteousness versus our God-given dignity and worth I invite those of us who are parents/grandparents/aunts/uncles/mentors to young people to consider what we model and teach our children about where their source of dignity and value comes from. Are we passing on to them the truth that our actions flow out of our sense of dignity and worth or that our dignity and worth comes from what we do or how much money we make? I pray that our church community help instill the gift that God has given to each of us - our dignity and worth. Let us pray…
The second thing that came up for me in studying this parable is somewhat connected to the first, and is connected to one of the questions that came up at Ask the Pastor Sunday. The question was about finding one's “calling” in life. It is so easy for the Pharisee to say that he is “called” by God to do what he does, but no one would believe it if the toll collector said he was actually fulfilling his!
Perhaps we are missing something in our understanding of vocation or “calling” if it has to do with what the particular job is. For instance, it is easy to think that being a pastor, teacher, doctor or nurse is a “calling” - but we do not think of real estate, parenting, waiting tables or being a computer expert as one.
I have come to believe that vocation or calling has little to do with the particular job and more to do with the joy, gifts, passion and sense of meaning that WE bring to the job. I also believe that the INTENTION that we bring to the “job” is what makes it a vocation or calling. The core intention behind a vocation or calling is service - doing it for the common good.
Albert Schweitzer wrote:
“I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”
I am reading a book for my Pastoral Leadership program by our director Marianne LaBarre called God Knows Your Job Gets Old, 12 Ways to Enliven It. I highly recommend it for those of you searching for work or for more meaning if your work, your home-life or for direction in your retirement.
LaBarre tells a wonderful story about a woman looking for a big change to bring meaning to her life. She was a stay-at-home mom, spouse, friend and church member. In a process of study and working with a life-coach she came to realize that she already had everything she needed right where she was. She realized how much she loved hearing about peoples' dreams and encouraging them to be true to themselves. She loved doing that with her children and her friends but she needed to name it and claim it as her vocation and do more of it with that new understanding.