Entitlement

The story is told about a boy who returned a wallet he had found to its owner. The owner thanked him profusely, but noticed that instead of one $20 bill, he now had 20 $1 bills in his wallet. How come? The boy said: “The last time, I found a wallet with a $20 bill inside, the owner said he had no loose change, so he could not give me reward money. This time, I made sure that I will get reward money.”

In today’s Gospel (Lk. 18, 9-14), we hear about two people who went to the temple area to pray. One was self-righteous and the other was self-effacing. One felt entitled and the other felt unworthy. One was proud, thanking God that he was “not like the rest of humanity,” and the other prayed, “Oh God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Jesus ends today’s parable with the words “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”  Which one are you?

The Pharisee in our parable had an entitlement problem, feeling that he deserved better treatment because of his righteousness. The problem with so-called righteous people is that they can become self-righteous and proud, to the point of despising everyone else, and to the point of feeling more entitled than the rest. Aren’t we all, in some way or another, in a lesser or greater degree, burdened with this entitlement issue?

Humility is the solution to our entitlement problem. We are all unworthy servants. If we achieve something, it is all made possible by God’s grace, and after we have done everything, we say we have just done our duty. All we have, our very life itself, is from God, so there is no reason to be proud. Entitlement is not an issue for those who know simplicity and humility.

Remember the resentful older brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son? He had an entitlement issue, and perhaps rightly so, but again, God’s ways are not man’s ways, and neither are His measures. God continues to draw us out of our shortsightedness and selfishness. He constantly shows us the way to free ourselves from our prisons, and He challenges us to seek and to see broader ways of living and loving.

The saints and the martyrs gave up what they were entitled to. In prayer, they knew and truly understood who they were—unworthy, undeserving, and unentitled servants—and that is why they were able to offer themselves, their sufferings, mortifications, and sacrifices willingly and joyfully to God and to His people.

Taking the healing bath at the Marian Sanctuary in Lourdes, France, is a humbling experience. Stripped of everything, and allowing oneself to be submerged in the tub of freezing cold water that has been used by so many sick people before one’s turn comes, is indeed an act of faith and an act of trust. In such a situation, titles, possessions, race, color, and status do not matter. In such a situation, there are no greater gods among us, and none more entitled than others.

Let me end with a story about a farmer who asked a nurse to help him with a wound on his foot. Taking offense, the nurse shouted at him, saying: “Don’t you know who I am?  I am the head nurse in this hospital. How dare you approach me with such a request?” In reply, the humble farmer said: “Ah, okay, please take me to the foot nurse then.” Titles, positions and possessions are not about us, but about our service for others and for God.

Bantay Matanda invites you to a lay forum on “Aging and caring for our eyes” at the Tuklong ni San Jose, Christ the King Seminary, E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave., Quezon City, on Oct. 29, 9 a.m.-12 noon. For inquiries, please call 3732262; 9982548; 09174167849.

Today is World Mission Sunday. Instead of focusing on our titles, positions and possessions, let us focus more on our servanthood and mission, so that ours will be a life that is meaningful and filled with love, mercy and compassion. We are all servants with a mission!

A moment with the Lord:

Lord, remind us that we are all your unworthy, undeserving, unentitled servants, so we should not be proud. Amen.