About Friar Musings

Franciscan friar and Catholic priest at St. Francis of Assisi in Triangle, VA

Jesus and Zacchaeus – Seeing and Salvation Comes

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Friar Musings

Luke 19:1-10. ¹He came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. ²Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, ³was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. ⁴So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. ⁵When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” ⁶And he came down quickly and received him with joy. ⁷When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.” ⁸But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” ⁹And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”

Commentary. At first glance we might expect this to be another parable challenging the rich. The rich have not fared well in Luke’s gospel. Jesus pronounces woes upon the rich (6:24). God called the rich farmer a fool (12:16, 20) and required his soul of him. The rich man went to Hades while Lazarus went to the bosom of Abraham, and Jesus observed how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven (18:23, 25). Zacchaeus is a “wealthy man” (19:2) Continue reading →

Jesus and Zacchaeus – Context

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Friar Musings

Context. A long section of the Gospel of Luke is passed over as we move from the 30^th to the 31^st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C:

18:15-17 The Little Children
18:18-25 The Rich Ruler
18:26-30 The Demands of Discipleship
18:31-34 The Third Passion Prediction
18:35-43 The Blind Beggar

For many weeks the Sunday gospels have been accounts are that are unique to Luke. At the beginning of his narrative of the journey to Jerusalem (9:51), Luke departed from the outline of Mark and began introducing material from sources either personal or common to Matthew and himself. At this point Luke begins to follow Mark again. The paragraphs below provide a very brief description of these passages: Continue reading →

Finishing the Race

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Friar Musings

“Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.” Well, I sure hope this parable isn’t addressed to me. It is just a story, a parable, right?

But then stories and parables invite us to identify with characters – even if we don’t get a lot of choices here. We can be the Pharisee, but then it’s pretty clear that’s not a great choice. You can almost hear the hubris, the pride, and the scorn in his prayer: “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity – greedy, dishonest, adulterous – or even like this tax collector.”

I suspect most of us would favor the tax collector. He seems to be the epitome of humility, is sincere, prayerful, and a model of conversion and penitence. Continue reading →

“The” Faith

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Friar Musings

I am partial to the Gospel according to Luke. I think his writing is good at telling the story and leaving room for the hearer to work though the implications of it all. Some of the most memorable parables – the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, Lazarus and the Rich Man, and more are all unique to Luke’s gospel. Also, Luke is particular about his choice of words and phrases – the small nuances of language find their place in his telling of Jesus’ story.

Today we have one of those small curiosities of language: But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? (Luke 18:8). What the Greek actually says is not “find faith” but “find the faith.” It is the only place in all of Luke’s gospel he uses this phrase. In fact it is the only place in all the New Testament. Maybe it’s nothing, but then again, as he often does, maybe Luke is trying to tell us something in this small parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge. Continue reading →

Pharisee and Tax Collector – A Parable

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Friar Musings

Luke 18:9-14. ⁹He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. ¹⁰“Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity—greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ ¹³But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ ¹⁴I 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.”

A parable of reversal or right relationship? Continue reading →

Pharisee and Tax Collector – In Prayer

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Friar Musings

Luke 18:9-14. ⁹He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. ¹⁰“Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity—greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ ¹³But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ ¹⁴I 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.”

The Pharisee. The Pharisees were not villains. Continue reading →

Pharisee and Tax Collector – Righteousness

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Friar Musings

Pharisee and Tax Collector – Context

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Friar Musings

Luke 18:9-14 – ⁹He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. ¹⁰“Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity—greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ ¹³But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ ¹⁴I 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.” Continue reading →

Faith in Action

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Friar Musings

Summer sun and an extended drought had left the surrounding fields parched, dusty, and brown. As they tended their wilting crops, the local folks daily searched the sky for any sign of relief. Days turned into arid weeks and still no rain came.

The ministers of the local churches announced that there would be a special service to pray for rain on the following Saturday. They requested that everyone bring an object of faith for inspiration. At the appointed hour, everyone turned out, filling the town square with anxious faces and hopeful hearts. The ministers were touched to see the variety of objects clutched in prayerful hands; prayer books, Bibles, crosses, rosaries, etc.

Just as the hour of prayer was concluding, and as if by some divine cue, a soft rain began to fall. Cheers swept the crowd as they held their treasured objects high in gratitude and praise. From the middle of the crowd, one faith symbol seemed to overshadow all the others; a child had brought an umbrella. (from Southern author and poet Laverne W. Hall)

The Pesistent Widow – Will He Find Faith

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Friar Musings

Jesus’ Commentary on the Petition. ⁷Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? ⁸I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Jesus comments make clear the intended parallels: from an unjust judge to God; from the widow to God’s elect. The term “his chosen ones” (hoi eklektoi), used in Luke-Acts only here, echoes texts such as Isa. 42:1; 43:20; 65:9, 15, 22; Ps. 105:6, 43 (cf. Sir. 47:22), which use the term “chosen” in a context that emphasizes election to serve Yahweh (also refers to Deut. 4:37; 7:7; 1 Chron. 16:13; Ps. 77:31; 88:3). Continue reading →

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