“They sow the wind,
And reap the whirlwind."
I have been asked to expand my comments on last Sunday's readings pertaining to seeding our life's journey, as they relate to suffering consequences arising from our actions. Another scriptural verse with a similar admonition is Galatians 6:7 “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (used as the expression, “you'll reap what you sow”), and Proverbs 11:29 “He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind.”
The so called Karma factor invites each of us to take responsibility for our words, and actions as they relate to our free choice to judge the actions of others. In my opinion every human person has from time, to time adopted the role of the self righteous, or pharisaical person easily contented to pass judgement on those perceived by the accuser, to be guilty.
Here lies the dilemma for each of us knowing well that none among us is innocent, even understanding that those who are inclined to be more self righteous, than others are nevertheless just a tad more pharisaical than us. Degrees of hypocritical behaviour may well suggest that others are more sinful than us. Distinguishing degrees of sinfulness may well be a fruitless exercise for it assumes that the detective is fully aware of their own flawed nature....a rare manifestation of humility.
The Saviour tells us a story illustrating His awareness that perceived lesser degrees of sinning is no excuse for not acknowledging our culpability. That our neighbour's behaviour is discerned by us, to be worse than ours should not encourage us to believe that we deserve better treatment.
Asking Our Father for forgiveness for our self destructive, and destructive behaviour may well lead us to understand that our transformation, into a better person takes a life time of living experience to persuade us that we also need The Father's saving grace to extract us from our delusional beliefs that we are superior to the next person.
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
~ Luke 18:9-14
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