To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 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. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “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.’ “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
“Now do you know what is the most common and, in fact, almost universal, substitute for renouncing our will? Dedicated people have made it into its own form of religion, and I will call it “the myth of heroic” sacrifice. The common way of renouncing the self, while not really renouncing the self at all, is being sacrificial! It looks so generous and loving, and sometimes it is. But usually it is still all about me. It is the classic “first half of life” gesture that gives the self boundaries, identity, superiority, definition, admiration, and a real control of the scene… It is just not the Gospel, but only its most common substitute…
All zealots and “true believers” tend to be immensely sacrificial on one highly visible level, and fool almost everybody. “I sacrifice myself by obeying these laws and attending these services or even serving the poor” and by being more heroic than you are, they might think. Often they do not love God or others in such heroic “obedience,” they are merely seeking moral high ground for themselves and the social esteem that comes with it (See Luke 18:11–12). Or as Paul puts it, “I can give my body to be burned, but without love, it is worth nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3). Most bogus religion, in my opinion, is highly sacrificial in one or another visible way, but not loving at all. Yet it fools most people. I will not dare to name names here, but you can fill in the blanks.”
Richard Rohr in Breathing Under Water (London: SPCK, 2016), 31-33.
In calling people to lives of authentic surrender and generosity, Rohr alerts us to avoid reflecting the myth of heroic sacrifice which propagates nothing but bogus religion. He uses a key biblical text with giving in view to make the point.
The Pharisee in the Scripture appears to have everything sorted in life. And his sacrifices take shape as fasting and giving. For viewers, it seems this bloke has the Christian life figured out. Many want to imitate him. But don’t go there.
A closer look reveals a prideful person, thinking he is better than robbers, evildoers, adulterers, and tax collectors and that his actions will justify him. Rohr is right in saying this is “not the Gospel, but only its most common substitute.”
Alternatively, Jesus celebrates the humility of the tax collector. And we can envision his generosity through the example of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10. In that scene he gives generously in response to the invitation to have relationship with Jesus.
So what is needful for us today to make sure we grow in authentic Christian generosity? We need to be sure that our generosity is coupled with humility and charity (or gracious love) to avoid the myth of heroic sacrifice and bogus religion.