Sunday Gospel Warm-up

Love the Unlovable

Oct. 23, Luke 18:9-14

We do not have tax collectors in our midst as they did in the days of Jesus, but we do have people who are taxing. Tax collectors in Jesus’ day were put into the despicable class, detested and shunned. We probably don’t have that to that degree, but certainly we have people we avoid and don’t want to hang out with. They are generally the selfish and contentious ones. They tax our strength and suck life out of us and so we tend to exclude them from our circle a little like what was done with tax collectors. Jesus’ challenge to us is to don’t exclude them. They just might have more of God’s truth than you do. Humility before God always leads to compassion, tolerance, and patience. As disciples, we must especially offer love to the difficult and those that try our patience.