Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else:
“Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank You, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give You a tenth of my income.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’
I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-14
The first issue we face in analyzing this parable is the question of who it was addressed to? The conjunction [de] is just simply a continuative — and then, also, next . . . It indicates that this parable is linked to the parable before it. Following on, Jesus told “some of them” this parable or this story. Again we can debate whether this is a true story and really happened or whether it is being told purely for teaching purposes. The preposition [pros] can have the strength “to some who . . . ” as in the reading above. Remember, we have a series of stories or parables strung together here. This story, its characters, its teaching point, its focus is very appropriate for the Pharisees. But was it told to them or not? That is the question. The last time we saw the Pharisees directly addressed as such, was in Luke 17:20. Following that, Jesus took the disciples aside. The first parable we find in Luke 18 is addressed again to the disciples. But we don’t know what has happened to the Pharisees. Are they in earshot or have they gone? If they are within earshot, then the parable makes sense. If they have gone, the parable still makes sense. The preposition [pros] could have the force “with a view to”, I.e., told the story denouncing people like the Pharisees. The reference is that Jesus told this story to some who were self-righteous. They had confidence in their own righteousness. They trusted in themselves and their ability to keep the law, rather than in God to save them. They were so certain they were keeping the law perfectly, that they had confidence they were earning their way to heaven. They considered themselves so righteous that they didn’t need the righteousness of God. Dangerous territory.
But it goes further than that, to the point where they scorned everyone else. The word [exoutheneo] means to despise, to reject, count as nothing, count as worthless, look down on all those around them. They felt they were a cut above the others. There are two ways we can come to feel like that. Either, we strive to make ourselves the best we can be. In one sense that is what the Pharisees did with their law keeping. If any one was going to get to heaven by keeping the law it was going to be them. Mint, dill, cumin, we will tithe on everything. In terms of keeping the law, we will add to it and then keep them all. That is the kind of thing Paul was talking about in Philippians 3:4-6. He was a budding Pharisee. Doing everything by the book.
The other way of building ourselves up, is by putting others down. Most of us know all about that. If we can’t achieve the levels we aspire to, then we can still feel good about ourselves by putting others down. Criticizing and finding fault with others can build us up in our own eyes. These people, thesomereferred to, are doing just that. I find it funny when reading the Greek text. The word referred to as “everyone else” is the [hoi loipoi]. It makes me laugh because in English we have an expression hoi polloi, which refers to those high class people who are living extravagantly and lording it over others. It describes those who are rich and well off, looking down on the plebs around them. The term in English is directly derived from this Greek expression, although I can’t tell you why the two syllables have switched position. This is exactly what the Pharisees were prone to do. I think “the some” here, refer to Pharisees who were lingering around.
Interesting isn’t it that the characters Jesus chooses in the leading roles for His story are a Pharisee and a tax collector. Coincidence? I don’t think so. He has chosen a Pharisee to contrast with a tax collector, because the Pharisees regarded them as the lowest of the “everyone else”. The tax collectors chose their role and chose to make their money serving the oppressors and taking money from their fellow Jews. None could be worse than that. Could there be?
I asked you the question yesterday, whether you thought this section was all about prayer? Both this parable and the one before it, have the word ‘prayer’ included. But it is not as though the matter of prayer is foremost. The two parables are not about prayer. The first one is all about faith. Prayer is only the means to the end. In the second one before us today, prayer is incidental. For both parables, prayer is merely the activity, the operation or medium by which faith is found and righteousness is gained. How do you find faith on the earth? How do we know we are righteous? The contest chosen, so to speak, is spirituality – praying. Let’s see how the contestants measure up:
The Tale of the Tape
The Pharisee | The Tax Collector |
---|---|
Stands | Stands |
Prays | Prays |
Alone by himself | Afar off |
Looking to heaven | Not looking up |
Looking around | Eyes down, fixed on the ground |
With Thanksgiving | Confession |
Not like “the others” | Beat his breast |
Thieves | Plea for mercy |
Wicked/Unjust | I am a sinner |
Adulterers | |
This Tax Collector | |
Fast Twice a week | |
Tithe on everything |
Like any boxing match, we can look at how the contestants measure up on the similarities and then note the advantage each has in certain areas of the contest. Both choose to stand. Both open with prayer. Both are alone. There the similarities end. From that point on it is all heavily in favour of the professional Pharisee. His list of credentials are impressive, to say the least.
- What are your predictions on the outcome?
- Will it go the distance?
- Do you expect a knockout or will it be an even contest?
Bear in mind, it’s a professional against an amateur in the professional’s chosen field. So the amateur hasn’t really got a chance.
Ok ladies and gentlemen; place your bets.
Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them — a desire, a dream, a vision.
Muhammad Ali
The man who has no imagination has no wings.
Muhammad Ali
It is not the size of a man but the size of his heart that matters.
Evander Holyfield
A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.
Jack Dempsey
In repentance we must do 3 things in relation to sin: see it, own it & turn from it.
Darrin Patrick
The greatest of faults, I should say, is to be conscious of none.
Thomas Carlyle