A Powerful Parable
Luke 18:9-14 NKJV
9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise 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, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
This parable from Jesus had to have rankled the Pharisees in a big way. The problem was people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised or thought little of other people.
Jesus tells the parable of two contrasting people in Jewish society. The Pharisee who was considered at the top of the religious pecking order. And the tax collector, the bottom feeders of Israel. Jesus could not have picked agreater contrast. Both went into the temple to pray, and only one came out good in God’s sight.
Jesus used interesting words describing the prayer of the Pharisee. Jesus said he prayed with himself. The NASB translation says he prayed this to himself. From these translations, we get the idea that the Pharisee was not praying to God. Other translations say that he stood apart, praying by himself. In either situation, this was not a prayer that was accepted by God. He was thanking God that he was not like other men. He was not a cheater, a sinner, or an adulterer. And was not like the tax collector that was there in the temple with him. The Pharisee also went on to tell God of all that he did that was right. He fasted and tithed. Sounds as if he was giving God a short sales pitch of how wonderful he was. The problem is the Pharisees believed what he was pitching, I mean, praying.
Now, Jesus contrasted the Pharisee with the tax collector, who would not even look up to heaven. This man asked God to be merciful to him because he was a sinner. That kind of honesty and humility goes over big with the Lord. And notice the tax collector never compared himself with anyone else. He acknowledged his need for God’s mercy and forgiveness. He was not putting himself down; he was simply acknowledging that he was a sinner in need of God’s help.
Jesus said the tax collector was heard and justified or made right with God. The Pharisee was not justified. The key to this parable was that one man humbled himself and was exalted. The other, the Pharisee, exalted himself, but it did not turn out well.
Application
How do we apply this parable to our life with God today? The first thing is not to glory or praise ourselves. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, said that it’s because of what God did for us through Jesus that we have wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. All the things that make us right with God and set apart for Him were done for us in Christ. No flesh can glory in God’s presence, and when we do glory, we glory, or we boast in what Jesus did for us. So in Christ, there is no need to exalt ourselves, so there is no need to compare ourselves with others.
Religious pride did not go over well in Jesus’ day, and it still does not play well with heaven today.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for what You did for me. I am so glad I do not have to depend on myself or my efforts to be right with You. My boasting is in what You did for me.