The Parable of the Pharisee and the Pharisee

Last week Archbishop John C. Nienstedt wrote a column called Four points on the church's teaching about homosexuality that was a response to his denying permission for  Carol Curoe and her father to speak at the Church of St. Francis Cabrini in Minneapolis on their book "Are There Closets in Heaven?; A Catholic Father and Lesbian Daughter Share their Story."  His column met with the normal outcry from both secular quarters and those within the Church who dissent from the Church's teaching on human sexuality.

What would Jesus say today if he were telling the parable in our Gospel of Luke?
 
4 versions:

First – two people came into Church to pray, one was a Border Patrol Agent who prayed – "I give you thanks oh God that I am not like others – greedy, dishonest, or like those on the run in order to make a living."

The other was a Mexican unlawful immigrant standing off to the side who prayed "Oh God, be merciful to me for leaving my family behind as I try to relieve their poverty by working in this country."

Jesus concluded – the last person went home more worthy in God's sight than the first.

Version 2:

Two  people came into Church to pray, one was a Roman Catholic Cardinal in Charge of Church doctrine who prayed "I give you thanks oh God that I am not like others   - greedy dishonest or like those living in Africa where AIDS is killing everyone even there we can never allow condoms to be used."

The other was an African widow dying of AIDS who stood off to the side and prayed "Oh God, be merciful to me for not refusing the advances of my husband without a condom, soon I will follow him to the grave and leave our six children orphans.

Jesus concluded – the last person went home more worthy in God's sight than the first.

Version 3:

Two people came into Church to pray, one was a Catholic Archbishop who refuses communion to Rainbow Sash people at the Cathedral on Pentecost Sunday who prayed " I give you thanks oh God that I am not like others – greedy, dishonest or like others who need to make their dissent from official Church teaching so public and divisive."

The other were Rainbow parents of GLBT people at the Cathedral on Pentecost who stood off on the side and prayed, "Oh God be merciful to us for failing to attend our own Churches more often; they say they love God then turn there backs on us in hate directly contrary to 1:John,4 – whoever loves God must also love the neighbor."

Jesus concluded the last ones went home more worthy in God's sight than the first.

Version 4:

Two people came into Church to pray.  One was an Evangelical pastor whose regional services are broadcast nationally who prayed " I give you thanks oh God that I am not like others   - greedy, dishonest or like others who give into same gender sex drives which the bible calls an abomination."

The others who came into Church to pray for a same sex couple raising children born by way of  donor insemination who prayed: "Oh god, be merciful to us for not finding our own medium to share with the broader audience the biblical passage of 1 John 4:16 – God is love and when we abide in love we abide in God and God in us."

Jesus concluded the last ones went home more worthy in God's sight than the first.

In conclusion, the line from the verse of  Psalm 34 are so powerful:

"Those who are crushed in spirit God saves."

Using this parable as a rhetorical device in this case is one where you can just slip into any to categories of people to make the point that you want.  Cast anybody you don't like as the pharisee and then just add favorite cause and you to can deliver a parable recipe of your choosing.   For example:

Two people came into a Church to pray.  One was the pastor of a  Church who said "I give you thanks oh God that I am not like others - like those who are not inclusive to the GLBT community, who will not deny Communion to those mocking the Church,  who won't conform themselves to the society around them and instead hold to truth passed down from the Church.  Like those who would dare to call homosexuality a sin and use scripture and tradition to defend their positions. Like those who would call people with homosexual attractions to a life of chastity instead of accepting and encouraging their behaviors as I do."

The other who came to the Church to pray had same-sex attraction and was struggling to remain Chaste as a member of Courage -  standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, `God, be merciful to me a sinner!' ".

The homily probably sounded like profound wisdom to his parishioners but is misguided at best and dishonest otherwise since in his examples not one of the people he casts as the publican called themselves a sinners and in fact they sounded more like the Pharisee justifying their actions or accusing others.