“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 NIV
Jesus’ story uncovers a deeply-embedded false notion that we, corrupted humans, can somehow do something to satisfy God’s righteousness enough to turn away His wrath because of our sin. Many false religions have this notion built into their belief system.
Humans are naturally plagued with the idea that, somehow, we are obliged to seek God’s approval by our own efforts. Even those who claim to be God’s children have this persistent, pernicious, underlying thought that we must do something to prove that we are “good enough”.
A rich man came to Jesus with the question, “What good thing must I do to inherit eternal life?” Wrong question!
Jesus’ parable highlights this trend, even in some parts of the global church, that is still alive today. It’s there, whether we like it or not. Some streams of the church function on this notion…in others, despite the teaching of “Christ alone”, this thought still persists in the subconscious mind of the believer. (I guess this idea must be a part of our old nature which still carries guilt and seeks to appease an affronted God).
Jesus’ story had a target audience that openly taught and believed that God could be satisfied by compliance with His laws. The more fastidious and meticulous they were at obeying His laws, and even the man-made laws that were designed to protect His law, the more “righteous” they were in their own eyes.
This law-conscious group consequently despised the riff-raff who didn’t “keep” the law and whom they, therefore, disdained and dismissed as “sinners”. So, Jesus deliberately chose, in His story, to contrast a Pharisee with a tax collector because, in the eyes of the Pharisees, tax collectors were the epitome of “sinners” because they collaborated with the hated Romans.
In Jesus’ story, the prayers of these two men revealed the core of their thinking.
The Pharisee’s prayer, according to Jesus was, in fact, not even addressed to God but only to himself. Jesus deliberately contrasted him with the tax collector, “I’m better than that guy!” but his words dissipated at the limit of his breath. Despite God’s breath being in him, he was so corrupted by his own importance that it was not God’s breath that came out of him but the “hot air” of his own belief system. His “thanksgiving” was focused on a rehearsal of his own hollow achievements.
The Pharisee left his place of prayer…not justified, not changed…just the same self-righteous sinner who was a little more pleased with himself, a little more entrenched in his own delusional pride than he was before he prayed.
Now…the tax collector! Somewhere, somehow, something had happened to trigger his conscience. Did he see, for the first time, some of the outcomes of his extortion in the poverty of the people he had heartlessly defrauded for his own benefit? Did he see hungry, dirty children crying in the street because of him? Did he really “see” his own grand home beside the hovel of his neighbour because of his greed?
His conscience bit deep into his soul. With downcast eyes, his shame washing over him like a tidal wave, he beat his chest in despair, crying out, “Oh God, forgive me! Please forgive me for my greed. Forgive me for what I have done to my own people. Have mercy on me for I have sinned grievously.”
Which one did God hear? Which one did the Father listen to…was His own heart attuned to self- congratulation or a cry for mercy? What does the Word say?
“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
Psalms 103:8-12 NIV
As the terrifying wave of guilt had drenched him with fear, so the gentle blanket of peace began to enfold the guilty sinner. Forgiven! Justified! Declared “Not guilty!” the tax collector romped home, his heart as light as a feather.
Which one would you rather be?
To end where we began, we must cultivate in our hearts, no matter what we do or achieve for God’s kingdom in this life, this overriding thought…”God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” Jesus alone is my hope for eternal life. Without Him, I am nothing.
Pride says, “I did it all by myself!” Humility says, “Father, forgive me for have sinned!”
…“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”
1 Peter 5:5-6 NIV
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NIV
No matter what we do “for God”, if it’s not done “in God” or “through God”, it is nothing, like banging a empty drum. Our only motive is the gratitude that reveals our love for the one who had done it all for us.
To be continued…