Almsgiving
Tuesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time C-2
Entrance Antiphon Ps 130 (129):3‑4 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But with you is found forgiveness, O God of Israel.
Collect May your grace, O Lord, we pray, at all times go before us and follow after and make us always determined to carry out good works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Scripture today: Galatians 5:1-6; Psalm 118; Luke 11:37-41
After Jesus had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home. He entered and reclined at table to eat. The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal. The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.” (Luke 11:37-41)
Almsgiving Let us imagine the scene, with Jesus having spoken at length to the people. Among the crowds was our Pharisee, perhaps with several of his class and friends. They were a set apart, regarding themselves, and regarded as, the religious professionals and leaders of the people. Our Lord never criticized the existence of the class of Pharisee as such,and probably they contributed significantly to the fidelity of the nation to Revealed Religion. It surely cannot be doubted that they assisted greatly in cementing the Sabbath Day in the life of the nation and making it a distinguishing linchpin of Judaism. Moreover, reading between the lines, the Pharisees themselves would not have felt that Christ was hostile to them as such, for we see here — as we see elsewhere — that a Pharisee took the initiative of inviting Jesus to his house for a repast. It suggests that Christ’s denunciations of Pharisaical abuses were not perceived as constant, nor even frequent. Nor were they indiscriminate. Nicodemus, a Pharisee choosing to visit Jesus by night for fear of the disapproval of his peers, obviously felt welcomed by our Lord for their conversations. Let us imagine our Pharisee of today’s passage coming forward to meet our Lord at the end of his discourse. The Pharisee would have been impressed, and felt drawn to the Man all held to be a prophet. Imagine their eyes meeting, Jesus plumbing instantly the soul of the Pharisee, the Pharisee gazing on the Man who, he did not realize, was his God and Creator — Yahweh himself. He invites Jesus to his home, and Jesus — loving him as a soul to be reclaimed and brought nearer to God his heavenly Father — assented with a smile. He had come to seek out what was lost, to recover the lost sheep of the House of Israel, to tend the sick, and he lets the Pharisee lead him to his home. All understood that Jesus sought the favour of no-one, but spoke the truth in sincerity — which on one occasion his enemies acknowledged to him before trying to trap him. So he went to the house, and with simplicity took his place reclining at table. But the Pharisee’s eyes widened — this prophet had neglected to observe the elaborate ceremonial washing. It was a serious omission.
I do not imagine the rebuke which Jesus gave — showing that he immediately read the heart of his host — as a rebuke uttered sharply and with sting. I prefer to imagine Jesus looking steadily at his host whose expression involuntarily revealed surprise of mind. Let us imagine their eyes meeting, with the Pharisee conscious that Jesus knew exactly what he was thinking. Let us imagine Christ gazing at his host, and with a smile on his face, slowly shaking his head as he spoke. A benign tone characterizes our Lord’s voice as he says to the Pharisee, full of calm assurance, that he was very, very foolish. Our Lord wished to reclaim this benighted Pharisee, so typical in his notions of many of his professional set. He spoke genially but frankly, and before the others — perhaps most of the guests were his own disciples. I doubt that our Lord spoke in such a way as to humiliate publicly his host, an honoured member of the community. The Pharisee had not actually said anything to Jesus — he had only entertained his thoughts. I suspect that in the case of this particular Pharisee, we have a person led astray in his notions but not hostile as such. To a greater or lesser extent, we are so many of us, astray in our notions. Christ deals patiently with us, correcting us of our serious faults, faults of which we may be scarcely conscious. Now, our Lord’s words suggest that our Pharisee, and many other Pharisees, were actually in a serious spiritual condition. The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools!” The Pharisee was neglecting inner virtue, the state of his heart. Inside, he desired riches and cared little for others. His position involved fleecing others, living off them, and caring little to support the needy when he was quite able to. Inside, his heart was stamped with extortion and sin. He was blind to this, and therefore foolish, taking pride and comfort in purely external observances. Rather — and this is significant and interesting — he should have concentrated on giving alms. “But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you” (Luke 11:37-41). This is a teaching that is applicable to us all. Almsgiving is central in true religion, and is a powerful cleanser of sin.
Our Lord states in the beatitudes that, blessed are the pure and clean of heart, for they shall see God. Here in our passage today our Lord tells the Pharisee, who was so surprised at his not performing the elaborate washing before the meal, that true cleanliness is within. He must rid his heart of extortion and sin. The true filth is there. Further, and this is most enlightening, almsgiving will cleanse the heart. Indeed, our Lord says, “as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.” Let us place almsgiving and works of mercy high on our spiritual programme, then! It will powerfully help us to be clean of heart, and close to God.
(E.J.Tyler)
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A Second Reflection: (Luke 11:37-41)
Our Lord Desires Our Friendship Our Lord was constantly offering his friendship. For instance, it is interesting to notice the invitations that our Lord accepted in the course of his public ministry, invitations to visit and dine in people's homes. He accepted the invitation from Levi the publican whom he called to follow him, and at that dinner there were the publicans and the sinners. Observing this, the scribes and the Pharisees complained. He also accepted invitations from Pharisees, one of whom was Simon, another was the Pharisee Luke tells us about in today’s reading: "Jesus had just finished speaking when a Pharisee invited him to dine at his house. He went in and sat down at the table." (Luke 11:37-38). Our Lord invited himself to dine with Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, and saved the soul of Zacchaeus in the process. We read of his dining in the home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary, his friends. He was at the wedding feast of Cana. Of course, the most important meal he led was the Last Supper, which became the first Mass. Our Lord, we are told in the book of Revelation, stands at our door knocking. The one who opens to him will see him enter and sup with him. That is to say, our Lord wants to be our personal friend, and to abide with us constantly. I have not called you servants, he said to his disciples at the Last Supper, but friends. You have not chosen me, rather I have chosen you.
As we think of our Lord accepting the invitation of the Pharisee to dine at his house, let us think of our Lord desiring for us a life of friendship with him. The love of Jesus, and living in his friendship is, in God's plan, meant to be the essence of our life. Let us resolve to make it so and to draw others into this friendship with Jesus. With this in mind, every day let us invite Jesus into the home of our hearts, knowing that he wishes to come and, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, abide with us.
(E.J.Tyler)
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