“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 tenthof all I get.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breastand 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 translation)
Recently I’ve been distressed by many of life’s challenges. I’m sure this is not foreign territory to you as well. If you are at all aware of what is transpiring in our world, I’m almost certain you can relate to my dismay. Also, we face the challenge of our own personal struggles which only add to our frustration.
I find that I’m constantly under some form of self-examination to see if I’m capable of making any sort of a positive step toward influencing the world around me. Can any of us make a difference for good in a broken world?
In one of my more lucid moments, I returned to reflect on the parable Jesus told concerning the “Pharisee and the tax collector,” found in the gospel of Luke chapter 18.
As the story goes two men stood before the altar in the Temple in Jerusalem. One was a dignified Pharisee who kept the rigors of the Law and was aware of his own good efforts. He wasn’t afraid to remind his Lord and Maker what a good man he was and what a righteous life he had lived. He basically told the Lord, “I’m glad I have no resemblance to people who struggle and sin. They are the ones that mess everything up and cause you grief. I’m keeping all the rules, and you are really blessed to have me on your team, Lord.”
Beside the Pharisee stood a tax collector. In his day he wasn’t among the elite but was despised by people who were responsible and upright citizens. He had to collect taxes from everyone and many of these collectors’ abused others by taking more for themselves and showing no mercy to the poor and downtrodden. In a moment of clarity, the tax collector confessed before God, “God have mercy on me, a sinner.”
We know the outcome of the story. Jesus tells us that the tax collector went home from the Temple, “Justified before God” rather than the Pharisee. This does not mean that he was righteous, but he was “declared righteous” by His Lord. The Pharisee, on the other hand, failed to see his own hardened heart which was proud and self-reliant.
The question is, “to whom do you most relate?”
If I’m honest I can see myself in both men. At times I’m the proud Pharisee. I think I’ve done everything “right.” God is certainly blessed to have me on His team. I’m rarely wrong, but when I am I’m not far off right. Obviously, this is living in a state of blindness and self-justification.
I also relate to the tax collector. I’m too often aware of my own shortcomings and failings. I must daily confess my failure in what some refer to as “sin management.” I cry to God for mercy and help. However, I may not do it as often as I really should.
I’m beginning to view this parable less from the viewpoint of “either/or” and now I’m seeing it as “both/and.” I think at any given time of day or night, I am both the Pharisee and the tax collector. I don’t think I can stay in one place or even in between the two.
I think God may be challenging us not so much to “fix” ourselves and our world but to trust Him in the mess we see in ourselves and others. All too often see the “mess” in others before we see it in ourselves, and I think that may be one of the main points of the parable.
It may very well be that in circumstance to circumstance, situation to situation and relationship to relationship, we shift back and forth between the two personas. In one relationship we may feel superior, in another we see our own sin and failure.
Some questions arise for me and perhaps for you as well:
“Lord, can you help me to see my sin and failure in this situation?”
“Can you keep me from being blind to my own sin when I see what seems obvious to me in others?”
“Can you show me mercy so that I can in turn show mercy to others?”
I’m not expecting this to be a quick fix for anything long or short term. I am, however, hoping that over time I can be quicker to spot my sin and hardness of heart and freer to accept God’s mercy, grace and forgiveness. I want to be far more generous in sharing that with others. It takes dependence on Him and breaking free of pride and self-reliance. It may be at least one avenue in making a difference in a messy and broken world. It’s at least a place to start.
Lessons for Living 