PARABLE 36 — LUKE 18:9-14 — PRAYING: PHARISEE AND PUBLICAN (TAX COLLECTOR)
9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon 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 every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Discussion Questions – Parable 36
PARABLE 36 — LUKE 18:9-14 — PRAYING: PHARISEE AND PUBLICAN (TAX COLLECTOR)
1. What was the prayer of the Pharisee? And how did he pray?
(Vs. 11-12) The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, “God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.”
The Pharisees thought their own goodness was so impressive that it could not fail to make them acceptable to God. They held rigorously to the ceremonies and traditions of the law, making a public show of their religiosity, all to be seen by other men, many of whom they despised as being beneath them.
The Pharisee in this story is the perfect example of one who is self-justifying. Notice that his prayer has no elements of confession. He does not ask forgiveness for his sins, perhaps because he believes he has nothing to confess. Nor is there any word of praise or thanksgiving to God. Even the thanks he does offer is designed to exalt himself and place himself above others whom he treats with disdain.
His prayer is all about him. Self is a prominent feature of his prayer—he uses the personal pronoun "I" five times—showing his great obsession with himself. He does not pray for others, and frankly, he has no interest in them other than to point out their faults. Not satisfied with commending himself, he disdains the tax collector as well, when he should have interceded for him before God. His prayer shows that he thinks of God as being impressed with pettiness and severity.
Going to the temple to pray with the condition of his heart as it was, he might as well have stayed home. Such a “prayer” is not heard by God.
2. What was the prayer of the Publican (tax collector)? And how did he pray?
(Vs. 13) And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, “God be merciful to me a sinner.”
Unlike the Pharisee, who stands boldly in the temple reciting his prayers of self-congratulation, the tax collector stood “afar off” or “at a distance,” perhaps in an outer room, but certainly far from the Pharisee who would have been offended by the nearness of this man. Tax collectors, because of their association with the hated Romans, were seen as traitors to Israel and were loathed and treated as outcasts. This man’s posture spoke of his unworthiness before God. Unable to even lift his eyes to heaven, the burden of his guilt and shame weighed heavily upon him, and the load he carried had become unbearable. Overcome by his transgressions, he beats his breast in sorrow and repentance and appeals to God for mercy. The prayer he speaks is the very one God is waiting to hear, and his attitude is exactly what God wants from all who come to Him.
3. Why does the Publican leave justified? (Vs. 13-14)
Justified means "to be declared righteous." The apostle Paul teaches that human beings are not justified by their works but by God's mercy—by grace (Titus 3:4-8). Our responsibilities in being justified are to humble ourselves in faith before God, repent of sin, and plead for His mercy and forgiveness. The Pharisee may not have been an extortioner, unjust, or an adulterer; he may not have overtly sinned as the tax collector did; and he may have fasted and tithed with greater dedication than most—but none of his good works could justify him (Romans 3:27-28; 4:1-3).
It is much less humiliating to humble ourselves than it is to be humbled by others. The tax collector humbles himself before God, pleading for mercy, and in the end, he receives exaltation. In Proverbs 27:2, Solomon expresses the principle of this parable: "Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips." This principle works in all facets of life, but most people cannot see it at work because they see no reward for humbly working behind the scenes. Godly principles at first seem contradictory to success, but they always work for the ultimate benefit of all. If we would be as concerned about our character as we are about being recognized for our achievements, we would be far more impressive to our Creator, whose gifts and rewards are unimaginable.
4. What is the danger of using others as our spiritual measuring stick?
The Pharisee compares his own flaws, not with God's infinite perfections, but with the imagined greater flaws of others. His pride has made him bankrupt of genuine compassion and concern (James 2:13). He presumptuously errs in his prayer in that it is neither his duty nor his right as a sinner to point out another's sins. In trusting in Christ for righteousness, our inadequacies and guilt are revealed, and we become willing to admit that others may be much better than we are.
We must not make the mistake of comparing ourselves with others and gaining confidence from what we see in that comparison. In fact, Jesus specifically warns us against this attitude at the beginning of the parable. When we try to justify ourselves by comparing ourselves to others, we naturally end up despising them. Our standard for comparison is God Himself, and we all fall short of His glory (Romans 3:23). We should never use others as a measuring stick to measure our spirituality.
Christians should never consider others as nothing or treat them accordingly. It is typical of human nature to elevate itself while putting down others, and some believe that this is the only way to elevate themselves above their peers. Isaiah writes about such people: ". . . who say, 'Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am holier than you!' These are smoke in [God's] nostrils, a fire that burns all the day" (Isaiah 65:5).
5. In what way (if any) is looking down on a sinner constitute a sin? Does forgiveness from this sin require humbling? What kind of humbling is appropriate?
A problem arises when we are "confident in our own righteousness" or "trust in" our own righteousness to save us and justify us before God. When we move from righteous living -- which is right -- to trusting in that righteous living to give us a standing before God, then we commit a fatal error. In that case it becomes self-righteousness.
But when we begin to take pride in our own righteous behavior, it's very easy to look down on those who don't behave this way as morally inferior to us.
"To some who were confident of their own righteousness, and despised others, Jesus told this parable: 'Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax publican.' " (Vs. 9-10)
According to Webster, “despised” means – to look down on others with contempt or aversion.
Let's consider who we faithful, righteous Christians tend to look down on:
· Punk rockers, surely, and
· Teenagers with body piercings and gothic clothing,
· Those with multiple tattoos,
· Pregnant teenagers,
· Divorced men and women,
· Gamblers and junkies,
· Emigrants and illegal aliens,
· Those who are of a different religion,
· Poor, smelly homeless people who don't exactly belong in our churches and might steal our purses if given have a chance,
· and the list goes on.
My dear friends, Jesus told a parable that is intended for our ears, the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.
Finally, Jesus brings home the application of the parable, the point, the meaning: "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Vs. 14) The word "exalt" means – to elevate by praise. The word “humbled” means – showing that you do not think of yourself as better than other people.
Jesus highlights a paradox of the spiritual life -- exalting oneself leads to humbling, while humbling leads to exaltation. Jesus' brother James carries on this theme when he says: "...But he gives us more grace.” That is why Scripture says: “God resists (opposes) the proud but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6) When we are proud, we make ourselves into God's opponent, his enemy.
The lessons for would-be disciples are obvious.
· We are saved by God's atonement and mercy, not by our righteous deeds.
· God abhors the haughty, but welcomes the humble. I can see myself here. I must guard against the sin of pride that is so repugnant to God. Instead, I must humble myself and be thankful for the grace of God.
· We cannot, we must not look down on others. While they may be sinners, they are certainly not beyond God's forgiveness. In the final analysis the only thing that saves either of us will be God's forgiveness, and not our pure lifestyle.
Is Jesus trying to undermine piety and obedience? By no means! But this parable attacks with a vengeance any pride and sense of superiority that our piety and obedience may foster.
Jesus is laying the groundwork for the kind of people whom God accepts. The Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge (18:1-8) teaches the importance of persistent faith, while this parable teaches the importance of humility before God, and the story of Jesus and the children that follows this (18:15-17) underscores this point. Faith and humility are marks of the men and women who follow Jesus. May they be earmarks of your character and mine, as well!
6. How does God want us to pray for others?
Jesus knew that His trial would be our trial. He knew that when He, the good Shepherd, was struck, “the sheep will be scattered” (Mark 14:27). He prayed for them—and us—out of love and deep concern.
He is our Intercessor (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25). He is at our side and can sympathize with our weaknesses, and He makes it possible for us to receive the mercy and help we need (Hebrews 4:15-16). And He wants us to learn to be intercessors too.
God gives us instructions to pray for others in several places in the Bible. The apostle James tells us to “pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16).
The apostle Paul encourages us to intercede for Church members and ministers, “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains” (Ephesians 6:18-20).
Paul exhorts us “that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Timothy 2:1-2, emphasis added).
Jesus Christ even commanded, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44, emphasis added).
Why does God want us to pray for others? Because intercessory prayer reflects God’s own character of outgoing love and mercy. God wants us to think like He does, and praying for others helps us to think beyond ourselves and to grow in compassion for others.
God compares prayer with sweet-smelling incense that pleases Him (Revelation 5:8).
7. Will you pray with me now?
Father, we live in such a wicked world. It's so easy for us to develop an ugly pride in our piety and look down on others. I can see that tendency in me. Please forgive me. Cleanse me. Please help me to humble myself before you that I may enjoy the comfort of your mercy rather than the sting of your judgment. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
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