Hello everyone.
In my last post, I started sharing my exegesis of Luke 18. We will continue that today, by looking at verses 9-14. In this section of Scritpure, Jesus shares the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector: Here is my translation:
9 To those who were convinced of their own righteousness while looking down on other people, Jesus told this parable. 10 “Two men went to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood off to himself and prayed, “Oh God, I thank you, because I am not like other people: Those who are greedy, dishonest, or adulterous, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week, and I tithe everything that I earn.”
13 However, the tax collector, standing far off, and not wanting to lift his eyes toward the heavens, but instead, beating his chest, and saying quietly, “Oh God, make atonement for me, a sinner.” 14 I’m telling you, this tax collector went home, viewed as righteous before God, rather than the other man, because all of those who exalt themselves will be humbled, while those who are humble will be lifted up.
Luke makes a specific point that Jesus is addressing a certain group of people when he tells this parable. He is telling this parable to those who are convinced of their own righteousness, while looking down on other people. This parable defines the righteousness that God is looking for. Kenneth Bailey says this about the parable, “”Behind this parable is the rich heritage of God’s gracious gifts of saving acts (righteousness) and the call for a reflective response to that grace.” (Bailey, 345.)
In this parable, one is self-righteous and the other is humble. Self-righteousness leads us toward despising others and being judgmental. No one would say it this way, but self-righteousness assumes that our ‘righteous’ behavior earns us God’s grace. (Bailey makes a great point: We want to make sure that we are not taking the same attitude as the Pharisee, with a twist, praying, “I thank you that I am not like this Pharisee.” (Bailey, 343.))
Let's look at the Pharisee, who stands off to himself. This is likely because he is distancing himself from others, ‘less righteous’ people. He would not want to be defiled by those that he would consider unclean.
Bailey makes notes that in 1st Century Judaism, prayer was considered to come in three forms. 1) Confession of sin, 2) thanks for bounty received, and 3) petitions for oneself and others. (Bailey, 347.) The Pharisee does none of these, merely thanking God that he is better than everyone else. Instead, the man lists off his accomplishments, as though he were making a commercial for himself:
- I am not like other people (sinners).
- I am not greedy, dishonest or adulterous, or like that tax collector.
- I fast twice a week and tithe everything.
His own self-perception was probably not true. We have established that many Pharisees were greedy,and he was certainly dishonest with himself.
Now, lets' look at the tax collector. The tax collector also stands away from everyone else, but not because he believed himself to be clean, but because he recognizes his own defilement, and his own unworthiness to approach God. The tax collector approaches God in humility.
Jesus' audience would automatically identify with a Pharisee. They were considered the most righteous among the people, while the tax collectors were among the most despised. Those in the audience would have assumed that it was the Pharisee had God ear, and the tax collector did not.
One man, the Pharisee, is convinced of own righteousness, basically letting it be known how lucky God is, to have a man like him. Whereas that the tax collector only acknowledged one thing about himself. He was a sinner.
Which of them was considered righteous before God? Jesus spells it out. The humble one (the tax collector), is the one that God views as righteous. Jesus finishes, saying, “all of those who exalt themselves will be humbled, while those who are humble will be lifted up.”
Remember, Jesus is talking to a group of self-righteous individuals, who were looking down on everyone else. They saw themselves as righteous, but God did not. Boasting did not enhance their standing. The one who recognized his own unrighteousness was viewed as righteous. God honors our humility, not our own perceived righteous behavior.
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