The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Today I want to spend a little time with you reading through my favorite parable of all time. We begin in Luke 18:9, “He [Jesus] also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:” Here we find the why of the parable. Jesus is talking directly to people who have what they call self-righteousness. When I was young, I had an imaginary friend named Malcom. Malcom liked everything I liked and always agreed with me and was always available when I needed him, in fact it was as if his entire existence revolved around me! Why is that? He wasn’t real – I made him up to make me feel better. Hey, listen, self-righteousness is the same thing as an imaginary friend. It’s made up, not real. And, hard to spot when you have it. 

So Jesus tells the following parable, “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’” What is the pharisee doing here? He is comparing himself with others. He believes that that is where his righteousness comes from – how well he performs in relation to others. Listen, all pride and self-loathing (which is another form of self-focused pride) comes from comparing oneself to others.  

Jesus continues, “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’” This is someone who is comparing himself with God alone. And he rightfully feels he ought not even to look up to God, he has no rights to claim in God’s presence. We see this throughout scripture. In Isaiah 6:5 the prophet has just been given a vision of God Himself and Isaiah immediately responds, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

In Luke 5:8, Peter has just seen a miracle performed by Jesus and look at how he reacts, “But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’”

What are we seeing here? A person who is not humbled in prayer is not in the presence of God. In the words of William Barclay, “True prayer comes from setting our lives beside the life of God.” That pharisee has no idea who he’s talking to. But this tax collector does. 

Jesus concludes with a strong statement, 

“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

In his commentary on Luke Black puts it this way, “Only those who are deeply aware of their own sin are able to accept the grace of God and therefore receive forgiveness. Those who are proud are unable to see their sin and are consequently unable to receive forgiveness.”

If we want to boil this down even more, we find that to be focused on anything other than God, not just other people, can cause our prayers to become static. When you pray are you focused on yourself or God? Others or God? Your circumstances or God? In his discussion of the Lord’s prayer Ravi Zacharias says we must begin our prayers in awe of God – recognizing He is our Heavenly Father. When we are focused on God, getting a better sense of His unmatched, unsurpassed, and indescribable glory than our sin will seem more severe, but His grace will be more precious. Our troubles will seem mild and His power more present. Our decisions will be put in perspective and clarity will come. Silly notions of pride or self-loathing or hopelessness will have no shadow to hide in and they will burn away. 

“Oh God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”