Two men approach God in the Temple; “…the latter went home justified.” Why? Pharisees were noted for their strict and passionate observance of the Law, to the letter. Tax collectors, on the other hand, were looked down upon, both as traitors to their own people (collecting taxes for the Romans) and as dirty for handling money with pagan imagery and wording on them. The Pharisee reminds God of all the good things he does—he is not greedy, dishonest, or adulterous, he fasts frequently, pays tithes on all his income. The tax collector simply admits to God that he’s a sinner, and asks for mercy. Why is the keeper of the Law—outwardly righteous—not justified in God’s sight, yet the tax collector—certainly not keeping the Law—is?
The Psalm solemnly sings, “For you do not desire sacrifice or I would give it; a burnt offering you would not accept. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn,” (Psalm 51:18-19). How is it that God cannot scorn such a heart? It is because such a heart is like that of His Son’s Heart: “…for I am meek and humble of heart…” He says (Matthew 11:29). Humility is the key that unlocks the heart of God for us; it is the secret weapon that defeats all sin, that breaks the chains of Satan’s machinations, that confounds the strategies of Hell. Mary sings that God “…has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly,” (Luke 1:52). Let us therefore be humble of heart, that no matter the depth of our struggle against sin, God may never reject our plea for His endless mercy.