Kindness, Mercy, and the Attitude of the Heart: Saturday of the Third Week of Lent

The Gospel for Saturday of the Third Week of Lent (Luke 18:9-14) presents us with one of Jesus’ most powerful parables: the Pharisee and the tax collector. It is a lesson in humility, mercy, and the true nature of the heart before God.

Two Men, Two Prayers, Two Different Attitudes

Jesus tells this story “to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.” His audience likely included Pharisees. They were the religious leaders who were meticulous in keeping the law, but this parable also speaks to anyone who is tempted to judge others while overlooking their own shortcomings.

In first-century Judea, tax collectors were despised because they worked for the Roman occupiers. They often overcharged people for personal gain, and were seen as traitors and sinners. They were considered ritually unclean and were excluded from Jewish religious life.

The contrast between the Pharisee and the tax collector could not be greater.

The Pharisee stands confidently, thanking God that he is better than others. He boasts of his fasting and tithing, but his prayer lacks humility, love, or repentance.

The tax collector, on the other hand, stands at a distance, unable even to lift his eyes. He beats his breast, a biblical sign of deep sorrow, and simply prays: "O God, be merciful to me a sinner!"

To Jesus’ audience, this would have been shocking. The Pharisee, a respected religious figure, should have been the righteous one, but instead, it is the despised tax collector who goes home justified before God.

A Powerful Truth

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Connecting to Kindness

At first glance, this parable may not seem to fit with kindness, but if we look deeper, it challenges us to examine our hearts:

Do we criticize others while overlooking our own faults?
Do we see ourselves as better than others, more faithful, moral, or righteous?
Do we show kindness to everyone, or only to those we think deserve it?

A key part of kindness is humility. When we recognize our own need for God’s mercy, we become more compassionate toward others. Instead of looking down on people, we see them as God sees them: worthy of love, grace, and kindness.

In today’s world, it’s easy to fall into the Pharisee’s mindset:

We compare ourselves to others: "At least I’m not like them."
We focus on our own good deeds rather than where we still need God’s mercy.
We justify our lack of kindness because "they don’t deserve it."

True kindness does not ask, "Who is worthy?" It asks, "How can I love as God loves?"

A Challenge for Today

As we continue through Lent, Jesus’ parable invites us to reflect:

Do I pray like the Pharisee, listing my own goodness or do I pray like the tax collector, asking for God’s mercy?

How can I practice kindness, especially toward those I might be tempted to judge?

Am I humble enough to recognize my own need for grace, so I can extend that same grace to others?

When we humble ourselves before God, we learn to see others through his eyes. And that is where true kindness begins.

May we, like the tax collector, come before God with honest and humble hearts, and may our humility lead us to a greater kindness in the world.

Try praying the Litany of Humility.