We Are No Better
Jesus said,
“Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both.
Which of them will love him more?”
Simon said in reply,
“The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.”
Jesus said to him, “You have judged rightly.” (Lk 7:40-43)
We are flawed, imperfect vessels of clay.
Because of our tainted humanity, we fail to see what is truly important.
Instead, from the time we are very young, we begin to believe that we are the “center of the universe”.
What matters most is our self. What must be met are own own needs. Who can be sacrificed to meet our needs, quite frankly, is anyone else.
That is what our humanity tells us.
Jesus reminds us that we are all sinners.
In the Gospel passage above, Jesus is speaking to Simon, a Pharisee who had invited Jesus to his home and who was upset because Jesus was paying attention to “sinners” and allowing “sinners” to come to Him.
Simon felt that Jesus, if He were truly the great man everyone spoke of, would realize that some of the people were sinners and keep His distance from them.
Jesus reminded Simon that “some” were not sinners in that household. All were sinners and that His mercy and forgiveness was being offered to all.
It takes a lot of humility to admit our weakness, our flaw, our need for mercy.
Yet, weak we are.
And the sooner that we acknowledge it, the sooner we can accept the mercy that awaits us in our loving God.
FAITH ACTION: Today might be a good day to make a proper examination of conscience. Once examined, make a point to go to confession in the very near future to seek forgiveness and absolution. You will feel better for it and your relationship with Jesus will be healed and grow even closer.