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Sunday 26 October 2025 Last Sunday after Trinity, Thirtieth in Ordinary time, Proper 25
A study of attitudes
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18; Luke 18:9-14
Context: a morning service in an outer-London church with a congregation of about 25 regular attendees; predominantly retired, middle-aged, but two committed and questioning teenagers (years 10 and 12)
Aim: to show that the old parable applies to our daily living as much today as when first told
A parable of Jesus, all to do with attitudes. Not untypical – like the Good Samaritan contrasted with the priest and the Levite. The goodies and baddies reversed in their roles?
The two characters here are well-known stereotypes of their day:
The Pharisee, well versed in religious orthodoxy and how it should be practised, charged with ensuring that it is maintained.
The tax collector, supporting the secular purposes of the Roman occupation by collecting the taxes demanded whilst adding his own living costs and doubtless more.
Modern equivalents? On the world stage, perhaps Zelensky and the Putin/Trump consortium? Closer to home, then, Chancellor Reeves and Nigel Farage? Which are the goodies and which the baddies? Which serve best the people they represent? On a personal level, amongst family and friends, whom do we hold up as the stereotypical go-to sympathiser and whom as the black sheep?
Having identified the characters, what is our attitude towards them?
The Pharisee is respected, but perhaps feared, on account of his position and authority in society. As Palestine is under occupation, perhaps he’s more of a modern social influencer than a government representative. Today Christian representatives are largely ignored by the public at large, except, justifiably, when it comes to the failure of safeguarding responsibilities. World leaders and politicians, appointed to serve their people, are scarcely uniformly trusted. They are more often perceived, rightly or wrongly, as peddling misinformation or pursuing personal power and wealth.
The tax collector in the parable, even though to some measure he may be fulfilling a necessary public service, is resented and despised. As a consequence, he has negative social status. These days of course there‘s the expectation that the taxman reduces his levy whilst simultaneously providing extra resources to cover inadequate funding of health and social services.
It is at this point Jesus reveals the attitudes of our characters themselves. Neither conforms to expectation. Such is the topsy-turvy nature of the Kingdom of God, identifying a model for us to follow.
The Pharisee continues in his self-congratulatory way, proud to retain his own social and moral status. Indeed, in choosing fine words he is praying to himself. He does nothing to further the religious principles to which he is called. Whereas the tax collector, devoid of all self-esteem, is genuinely repentant, praying tentatively for undeserved forgiveness, calling on God for help. In so doing, he is justified – declared righteous by God.
Paul, in prison, abandoned by all but a few of his friends and facing imminent death, writes to the younger Christian, Timothy. Paul has moved quite literally from the Pharisee’s attitude in the parable to that of the tax collector. His life has become a libation: a sacrificial pouring out of blood from his very being. His strength comes from the Lord. He is content that he has athletically, not militarily, fought the good fight and run the race.
Where does this lead us – you and me equally – if we seek to live the Jesus life? Now, as then, the practical working out is left to us. It is the choices we make, of consequences large or small. Our calling may engage us in the public or political domain, or we may feel that we can bring no significant influence to bear or have no contribution to make on a particular matter. But for all of us there are the attitudes that we inevitably display in all our dealings in everyday life, be they born simply of prejudice or preconception, self-enhancement or preservation, or of a genuine concern for the feelings and needs of others. Perhaps we need to stop and think before metaphorically pressing the Send button on that email; or ensure our prayers are less the finding of fine words and more an expression of love and action behind them.
Might we be enabled to bring God’s seemingly elusive Kingdom that little bit closer?
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