God does not show favouritism or partiality - these are words that many do not want to hear. Perhaps we secretly hope that God will be especially gracious or merciful to us and to the group to which we belong. But Paul makes it clear that everyone has fallen short of the glory of God. As Christians, we cannot condemn others and rail against society when we do the same things. Everyone is in need of God's mercy and we will receive that mercy through Jesus but only when we humbly admit that we need it. God shows mercy to all - even to those we might despise.

The Pharisees were no worse than others and certainly no worse than many Christians. They did what so many religious people do: they forgot that love, mercy, and justice are the essential core of our faith - all the rest is commentary and reflection. It is far too easy to get lost among rules, rituals, laws, and theologies and push these more important qualities into the background. A good Jew, Christian, or Muslim is a person who displays compassion and justice in an impressive way within their own religious tradition. We can present an eloquent and credible testimony to our faith each day by treating others justly and with compassion.