Jesus told this parable because there where those who looked down their noses at others. Who were proud of their religion, Jesus is fixing to tick them off.
TWO GUYS
“Two men went up to the temple to pray… (vs. 10a)
A good guy and a bad guy. In Jesus parable about the Pharisee and the tax collector we may be confused about who the bad guy is and who the good guy is. We are used to the Pharisees being bad people in Jesus’ day, but to the people then they were highly respected men in their community.
- Good Guy” one a Pharisee…(vs. 10b)
They were religious, people looked up to them. They kept the religious and moral tone of their society.
- “Bad Guy” and the other a tax collector (vs. 10c)
Now what about this tax collector, this was a Jew, but one who had collaborated with the Roman government to collect taxes from his own people to give to the Romans. The Jews resented the Roman military occupation. Romans living in their beloved homeland telling them what to do was more than they could stand. But to give them hard earned money! Give the Romans money so that they could continue their hated rule, fund their military and ensure further oppression. This was the worst! To give them money was anathema. And so for a native individual, a Jew to cooperate with the Romans, take money from his own people and give to this power-hungry brutal government that was controlling them. This was the highest form of a traitor. There was deep resentment for tax collectors. To make matters worse the Romans allowed people to bid on the job, so the job went to the highest bidder. The one granted the position of collecting taxes would pay to Rome the amount he bided and could keep the rest. And they had the backing of the Roman military if needed. Taxes were revenue needed to run the government, so they were important to Rome. Tax collectors were known crooks and thieves. Extortion was common and accepted. Think of today a position that is viewed as crooked, maybe it’s the mob, car salesmen, lawyers, or TV evangelists. For them no question it was the tax collector. If both of these men were running for office, all of us would vote for the Pharisee. If both of them were courting your sister you would want her to marry the Pharisee.
They both went to pray. They “went up to the temple to pray” They went up to pray because Jerusalem was on a hill and the temple was built on the highest hill in Jerusalem. So, if you went to worship you went up. And the place of worship was the temple. Going to the temple was like going to church. People worship, learn, give and pray at the temple. At the temple people could pray anytime but their formal times to pray observed daily in the morning around 9 am and afternoon at 3 pm. Those listening might expect the Pharisee to pray there, but were probably surprised that Jesus would mention the tax collector praying there. This is out of place, like a fish out of water. Today it would be like a drug dealer at church. I hope we would be glad they are there, but it might be beyond our expectations.
Now what made the one who would have been unanimously proclaimed as the good guy the bad guy? What were these two doing that made one good and the other bad? Both had gone to church, both were praying. Going to church and praying are good right? Not until we read the Pharisee’s prayer do we begin to get a hint of what made him a bad guy.
TWO PRAYERS
Pharisee
Here is his prayer…
The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men– robbers, evildoers, adulterers– or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ (vs. 11-12)
He was conceited and arrogant. He was telling the truth, but he was conceited and arrogant about it. Look at this. It says he prayed about HIMSELF. His prayer is about himself- and that is about is far as it traveled. Do you know some religious people today who think they are it?
When the Pharisee was saying that he was not like the other people: robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or tax collectors. He was telling the truth. Pharisees would totally AVOID these people. Its interesting that when Jesus came the tax collectors, prostitutes and those outcast by the religious was exactly who Jesus hung out with – “For John came neither eating nor drinking, (John was a Nazirite which meant he didn’t drink any wine or cut his hair- this vow is mentioned 11 times in the OT-Numbers 6 explains it) and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, (This means Jesus drank wine) and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.” Matt 11:18-19
It is not like Jesus to shun people. If you shun, or loath certain people this is NOT Christ like. All people even those considered the outcast of society felt comfortable around Jesus. Do people feel comfortable around you – or are you to busy judging them?
How many churches today are the same way, judgmental towards all who are outside their religious circle? Have you ever been to a church and you felt people judging you, looking down on you, not being friendly? This is being a modern-day Pharisee. It’s really easy to point out all the faults of the Pharisees back then, but there are many today who do the same things.
The Pharisee said he fasted twice a week. He was telling the truth. Wow, fasting twice a week. This went far beyond anything the law required. The only time there was a prescribed fast was on the Day of Atonement. (Lev. 23) A fast was to eat no food from sun down to the next sundown. Now a religious person would fast once a week. But twice, that was something!
The Pharisee said he gave a tithe of all that he got. Now listen to that. “All I Get” God says to give a tithe, 10 % of income but only the super religious would tithe on that plus everything they purchased. This meant they would tithe the grain, spices, everything they got. That would be like you, after going to HEB or Wal-Mart. Taking your groceries, pouring 1/10th of your gallon of milk and bringing it to church to give it to the Lord. 1/10th of your bag of sugar, strawberry jelly, mayonnaise, ketchup and everything you got at HEB and bringing it to church. The Pharisees would literally do that. Now that’s religious! Listen to Jesus addressing Pharisees about this very thing:
Luke 11:42 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone. (NIV)
Not that tithing everything is bad. He said YOU SHOULD HAVE, but to neglect justice and loving God is the bigger problem.
The Pharisee says he gives a tithe of all that he gets. He is willing to go to all that time and trouble to count out 1/10th of all spices and herbs. He is telling the truth. What a hero to the people. What an example of religious practice. What a devotion to the law. You could see why their head may swell.
What about us today? Again we have gone in the opposite direction! Instead of giving 10% we make excuses, I have heard people say things like, “God loves a cheerful giver, so if you can’t give cheerfully then God doesn’t want us to give” Surveys reveal that less than 2% of US church members give 10% of their income? So if you give 10% you are surpassing 98% of those playing American religion, the modern-day Pharisee.
Here’s what bothers me if Jesus got on to the Pharisee for doing the RIGHT things with the WRONG attitude. What about us doing the WRONG things with the WRONG attitude? God help us.
We need to do the right thing AND have the right attitude.
The thing about this Pharisee is that is INVENTING things to do be religious. These are not in the law. It is a comparison game. Who can do more? Who can be more religious? They did this and became conceited, arrogant. Look at me! Look at what I have done! Look at my list of religious accomplishments! Look at my religious resume!
Again, in American Culture we have developed a religion that is a multi-Billion dollar industry. There have been countless articles about this very thing. Christianity in America is BIG BUSINESS. They have everything from Christian Candy, “Testa-mints” – a bible verse on a piece of candy. Have you been duped by thinking if you participate in this market or these activities you are religious or WORSE, right before God?
The only true Christian culture is that which you will find in cross culturally (Christians in China, Mexico, Kazakhstan etc,) or in heaven things like love joy, peace, generosity etc. These are what we should strive for.
So, we have become modern Pharisees proud of our religion.
Let’s look at the…
- Tax Collector
“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.’ (vs.13)
Look at the tax collector’s posture. Three things that show he was humble without even looking at his words. First, he was standing some distance away from the temple, aware that he was unworthy of approaching the place of God’s presence.
Second, he was unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven. You know how it looks to be ashamed. Like a little dog that knows he has done something wrong and is cowering down. This suggests that the tax collector was aware and ashamed of his sins, unlike the Pharisee who had no awareness of his personal sin. He thought he was a good guy. Third that tax collector was beating his breast with his fist, which was a symbol of grief and sorrow in that society and many societies. Grief and sorrow over his sin. So before we even read his words we see from his actions alone that this is a striking portrait of humble repentance.
The tax collector’s prayer is: ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I think we read over this so fast we don’t understand what is happening here. This word mercy, we use mercy flippantly. “Have mercy,” or “Oh Mercy” There was a game that we would play as boys, where we would grab the opponents hands and it was a strength contest, the one that could out twist and overpower the weaker one would win. When the pain got to be too much for the looser he would cry out “Mercy” Which means OK or stop, or you win. The man is saying to God “You win!, I loose!”
But there is more. The Greek word hilaskomai. It’s only used twice in the Bible. It’s a very interesting word. Now bear with me on some of his theological jargon, He is saying: “Can I receive atonement/propitiation?” “Can I be extended your grace, your pardon? “Can I be saved?” “Can I have the sacrificial substitution of the sacrifices (happening at the temple at that time) apply to me now?”
TWO ATTITUDES
- Pride
We see a lot of pride in the Pharisees prayer. We see a lot of pride in the way the religious act today. Looking down on others, thinking our way of doing religion is the only way. Pride is a serious problem. God hates pride. It separates us from other people and it separates us from God.
“I hate pride and arrogance, Proverbs 8:13
Those are very strong words. There are very few things that God comes out and says “I hate”, and pride is one of them. Here is an interesting bit of trivia. What was Satan’s downfall? It was pride. Look at Ezekiel 28:14-17, about Satan.
“You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you . (NIV)
I don’t know of anyone who wants for God to oppose them. People want to be blessed by God. We say, “God Bless you” If you want God to oppose you just be proud and conceited.
James 4:6 and I Peter 5:5 quote from Proverbs 3:34 Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (NIV)
If you want opposition from God, be prideful.
Humility
“He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” Psalm 25:9
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:10
—F. B. Meyer
I used to think, that God’s gifts were on shelves
one
above
another
and the taller we grow, The easier we can reach them.
Now I find, that God’s gifts are on shelves
one
beneath
another
and the lower we stoop, The more we get.
This is so true. Up is down in God’s economy. Today we have a baptism, as the person goes DOWN into the water, they are lifted up God grows them. As a person goes down to the children’s classes to teach, serve and help, God lifts them up. As a person leads a connect group, God lifts them and grows them up. As we go down into our pockets and wallets to give God grows us. As we go down to Mexico, Guatemala, the Philippines, India, or Africa on our mission trips God lifts us up as we serve.
We need to do the right thing AND have the right attitude.
Now what Jesus said probably shocked his listeners.
TWO OUTCOMES:
“I tell you that this man,(tax collector) rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (vs. 14)
Instead of the Pharisee being complimented as an example of what they should do. Jesus announced that the tax collector was justified! To be justified means: “to be declared just by God” God is the one who justifies, not the individual. The Pharisee was justifying himself not God.
- Unjust in God’s Eyes (the Pharisee
- Just in God’s Eyes (the tax collector)
The Pharisee had confidence in himself and his accomplishments. He is patting himself on the back not seeking the Lord. This is a major problem today that we have. Our pride. People won’t come to Christ because they are too proud to admit their need for him. Too proud to say they have sinned. It is much easier to point the finger at someone who is worse and compare. If you say you are a sinner, people say well, I’m not as bad as so and so. They are not the comparison! God is the comparison! When you stand before God his standard is not Adolf Hitler or Charles Manson. God’s standard is perfection. It’s like someone on trial for stealing a car. What if he were to say, well your honor I never raped anyone, I never molested children, I never murdered. What would the judge say? “Well guy, that is real nice, But You are not on trial for those things you are on trial for stealing!” The same is true for each of us all of us have done wrong in God’s eyes. Quit comparing. Because you can always find someone worse than you, that is not the point. The point is you need be humble.
Jesus announced that the tax collector was justified! Using churchy language of today, you could say it was the tax collector that went home saved. You will never experience salvation, forgiveness, mercy or God until you become humble, and broken over your sin. Then you will experience all God has to offer.
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