Gospel in Art: The tax collector, not the Pharisee, went home justified

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector by James Tissot © Brooklyn Museum, New York

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 9 March 2024
Luke 18:9-14

Jesus spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else: 'Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, "I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like the rest of mankind, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get." The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast and said, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.'

Reflection on the gouache

In today's parable two people went up to the Temple to pray. Both 'appeared' to pray, but only one of them really prayed. The Pharisee prayed a prayer of thanksgiving, which began, 'I thank you God...'. The tax collector prayed a prayer of petition, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner'. Both used traditional prayer formulas but it was only the tax collector's prayer that was acceptable to God and that was judged to be authentic prayer. What distinguished the two prayers was the attitude of hearts from which they sprung. In the case of the Pharisee, it was an attitude of pride and included judgment of others; for the tax collector, it was an attitude of humility that recognised his poverty before God.

Our gouache drawing by James Tissot depicts today's parable. The Pharisee is on the left, ostentatiously praying with arms spread out, for everyone to see. The tax collector, dressed in yellow, is shown with head in hands, truly repenting. James Tissot embarked on illustrating the "Life of Jesus Christ," a project that would become his magnum opus. It consists of 365 detailed watercolors that capture the events of Jesus' life with meticulous attention to historical and biblical accuracy. Tissot traveled extensively in the Middle East to ensure the authenticity of landscapes, architecture, and costumes in his works. Painted between 1886-1894, it is magnificent visual resource.

The Pharisee and tax collector went up to the temple being equally poor. But it was only the tax collector who recognized that truth. What God needs from us is the same attitude of the tax collector, a humble, contrite heart that refrains from judging others and trusts in God's mercy.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-18-9-14-2024/