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Gospel Reading for March 14, 2026 – Luke 18: 9-14
ABOVE ALL ELSE
Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The 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. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ But 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.’ I 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.”
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Those of us who think we are better than others in the eyes of God should pause and reflect. The Pharisee believed himself to be righteous because he faithfully performed religious rituals and paid his tithes, yet he looked down on the tax collector. In truth, he belittled the tax collector only to elevate himself.
But the virtue that truly matters in the eyes of God is Humility. To be humble is to recognize our constant need for God’s grace, which strengthens us so that we may not falter under the pressure of temptation. To be humble is to acknowledge that we, too, sometimes fall into sin and make mistakes. To be humble is to regard others with respect and even consider them better than ourselves. Above all, to be humble is to recognize that God is ABOVE ALL ELSE.
Lord Jesus, teach us to follow your example of humility and compassion!
