A Caution For How We Approach God
In Luke 18, Jesus shares a parable of how our self-righteousness can affect our prayer life. Through the illustration of two men going to the temple to pray, Jesus encourages us to take a step back to recognize where we stand. Keep reading to see if you are experiencing the vulnerability of the religious or a justified spirit of poverty.
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The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed[a] thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
The Parable of the Pharisee and The Tax Collector
With many parables, the listeners are left wondering what Jesus was really saying through the story. However, in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, He informs us on the front end.
"To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable." Luke 18:9
Some persons trust wholly in themselves, therefore, treating others with contempt, which not only fails to put them in the right relationship with God but hinders their prayer life's effectiveness. In this parable, the two men, a Pharisee, and a tax collector, recognize that there are earthly things that are not good. They're aware their hearts are not aligned with God, so they're praying to the temple.
Let's contrast these two characters and how they approached prayer to understand Christ's message about prayer better.
The Pharisee: Vulnerability of the Religious
Who was the Pharisee?
Pharisees were highly religious people. This person would have memorized vast amounts of the Torah and knew all of the religious law. But, as we see in the parable, He had the form of being religious but without the manifestation of the love of God.
1) He Lives in an Illusion
"The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men." Luke 18:11
The Pharisee is living with blind spots. He explicitly states that he believes he's not like everyone else. Notice he doesn't mention anything about his sins.
Contrast that to what Scripture says, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." So either he believes his sin falls into a category that somehow gets a pass, or he has a much deeper problem.
If he only has a revelation of himself, then he does not have the revelation of God.
If you want to be right with God, compare yourself with God and God's Word rather than your neighbor. He fails to see God and the holiness of God, and because he fails to see the holiness of God, he fails to grapple with his sin. In his mind, he doesn't need a Savior because he is his own Savior, which ultimately means he does not have a Savior; He only has himself.
The Pharisee: "I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get." Luke 18:12 (ESV)
His disillusionment lends him to self-righteousness, which sets him up for a thousand more deceptions. He has outward works with no inward experience. Not only does he not confess any sin while in the Holy One's presence, he even has the audacity to lift his self-righteousness.
Yes, there are benefits to waiting, prayer, and fasting. Let's not minimize that; however, when it's based on performance and our glory, the focus is not on God but on ourselves. When we cater to these patterns, we're doing them for the wrong reasons. They should be coming from a heart of adoration for the Lord and enjoying His blessings.
2) His Illusion Fuels How He Compares Himself to Others
The Pharisee: "'God, I thank you that I am not like other men.'" Luke 18:11
As we see in verse 11, the Pharisee has thanked God that he's not like other men. But in the rest of that verse, he goes on to name other people's sins:
Extortioners: obtaining money or something of value by abusing one's office or authority.
Unjust: not morally right; not fair.
Adulterers: a married person who has sexual relations with someone who is not their wife or husband.
Or even this tax collector.
His list continues the tragedy. He is disillusioned that others' sins have caused him to feel superior, despite not acknowledging his heart. As a result, he has no consciousness of his life.
The moment we compare ourselves to others, we're going to feel one of two ways. Either we will feel superior, which is pride, or inferior, which is also pride.
Understanding when we feel pride in superiority is easy to understand, but what about inferiority?
When we feel inferior, it's because we're putting ourselves on the throne in light of ourselves as the standard. It's a lose-lose proposition. We are made in the image of God, and we're worth more as persons to Him than we can fathom through our own inferiority or superiority.
God opposes the proud, and He gives grace to the humble. Therefore, rather than justifying our sins and comparing ourselves to others, let us come to God with humility.
Tax Collector: The Justification of a Tax Collector
1) He Demonstrates Sorrow For His Sin
JESUS: "But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast." Luke 18:13
The tax collector is taking a posture of humility and reverence before God. Then, as he's about to pray, he begins to "beat his breast." Now, this is not a phrase we use in our culture today. However, during Jesus' day, this had a specific meaning. To beat your breast was an expression of sorrow, anger, or woe; an expression of grief or disappointment.
However, it was not a phrase that meant regret (I regret that I got caught) or remorse (this isn't as great as I thought it would be).
"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done." 2 Corinthians 7:10-11
The tax collector was showing sorrow for his sin. It was God-centered, and Christ manifested for the damage he'd done to hinder his relationship with God.
"And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says:
'My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.'" Hebrews 12:5-6
When we come to Christ, we've put our faith in the person of Jesus and have become his child. The implications of that are staggering and infinite. As a child of God, He is heavily invested in you. However, the investment is so grand that there will be God-centered sorrow for our sins due to the movement of God's grace in our life. It attunes us into alignment with God's love as He purifies our hearts.
The motive is not punishment; it is love and bringing us to Christ. The grace of godly sorrow working in our lives brings repentance and leads to salvation. God's work brings fruitfulness of relief, joy, and peace.
2) He Expresses His Need for God's Mercy
The Tax Collector: "' God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'" Luke 18:13
Mercy is when we do not get what we deserve. God is merciful, and the Bible says new mercy is available to us daily.
The Characters' Contrast of Mercy
One makes a claim to righteousness based on his own righteousness.
While the other cries out for the Lord's Mercy because he sees the Lord's righteousness.
One has a revelation that teaches him to rely on himself.
While the other has a revelation that leads him to cry out in need to God.
One is content with the illusion of where he is.
While the other is desperate because there's no illusion of where he is.
The Sermon on the Mount opens with "Blessed are the poor in spirit for they shall see God." When we recognize our own poverty of spirit, that is the beginning point of knowing God, and the Pharisee is content with where they stood in life.
JESUS: "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:14
Let's clarify what Jesus means when He says "Justified." It means to declare righteousness. Justification is an act of God whereby He pronounces a sinner to be righteous because of that sinner's faith in Christ.
These two men went to the temple to pray, and Jesus is saying one man's prayers weren't heard, but the others were because he was justified and he'd been made right with God.
“The root idea in justification is the declaration of God, the righteous judge, that the (person) who believes in Christ, sinful though he may be, is righteous—is viewed as being righteous because in Christ he has come into a righteous relationship with God.”
Where Do You Stand with God?
Have you ever been on a flight when your neighbor asks, "So, what do you do?" It's a common icebreaker for seatmates to engage in light banter for their flight duration.
“When he shall come with trumpet sound,
oh, may I then in Him be found,
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne.””
However, when I fly, and the question of occupation arises, the conversation tends to go one of two ways. Upon learning I am a pastor, they either 1) stop the conversation entirely or 2) become a nervous chatterbox. Typically it's the former.
However, in the scenarios where it's the latter, I will hear that they're in church every Sunday. So I will ask them, "Why is God going to let you into heaven?" The response is often, "Well, I'm a good person."
That was the sin of the Pharisee. He, too, believed He was a good person.
One day, when we stand before the throne for judgment, the answer we do not want to give when we account for our lives is, "I was a good person." Instead, the answer we want to share with conviction is, "My faith was built on what He did on the cross."
TL;DR
The parable warns against treating others with contempt and trusting yourself, which hinders the effectiveness of their prayer life.
The Pharisee only has a revelation of himself. Therefore he did not have the revelation of God.
Rather than justifying our sins and comparing ourselves to others, let us come to God with humility.
When we become aware of God's grace in our life, we will have God-centered sorrow for our sins.
Justification is an act of God whereby He pronounces a sinner to be righteous because of that sinner's faith in Christ.
Related Reading
Why Doesn't God Answer My Prayer by Rev. Paul Lawler
Three Keys to a Better Prayer Life by Rev. Paul Lawler
Is Scripture Really That Important by William Merriman
