The Pharisee and the Tax Collector Luke 1. Jesus. Walk. Sign up now for a free. Rebuild Renew The Post Exilic Books. Text. Luke 1. 8 9 1. To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable 1. Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself God, I thank you that I am not like other men robbers, evildoers, adulterers or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get. 1. But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, God, have mercy on me, a sinner. 1. I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Exposition. If you think that looking down on others was exclusively a First Century phenomenon, think again. This parable speaks loud and clear to Twenty First Century churches. Listen for what Jesus says to us disciples. Self Righteousness 1. To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 1. Bible verses about discipleship A Christian disciple is a follower of Christ, but one thing you must know is the cost of following Jesus Christ is your life. It. Luke precedes the parable by naming its intended target. The first characteristic is confident of their own righteousness. The word translated confident NIV or trusting in KJV is Greek peitho, which can mean variously, convince, persuade, depend on, trust in, be convinced, certain. 1 Righteousness is Greek dikaios, pertaining to being in accordance with high standards of rectitude, upright, just, fair. 2Holiness churches are filled with people who are scrupulous in their observance of a rigid menu of moral standards. So are evangelical and mainline churches, Pentecostals and Catholics, Orthodox and Seventh Day Adventists. In each of our denominations there are sincere, God fearing people who are careful to obey God as they understand his laws. In Jesus day the Pharisees were the strict Jews. They believed. They were disciplined. They took the Law seriously so seriously, in fact, that they created a hedge around the law, the Oral Law, with the idea that if they kept the rules of the Oral Law the tradition of the elders, then they wouldnt break the Mosaic Law. We too, have our hedge around the law. At various times and in various churches there have been rules against open toed shoes, sleeveless dresses, slacks for women, mixed bathing, not genuflecting before the host, abstaining from wine and hard liquor, beards, smoking, drugs but not herbs and pharmaceuticals, lack of beards, lack of head coverings, eating pork, eating any meat, drinking caffinated drinks coffee, but hot chocolate is okay have I forgotten any important ones You get the idea. None of these is stipulated clearly in the scripture, but each comes from a desire to please God and avoid godless ways. And theres nothing wrong with rules. Each family has to have family rules. Each church needs to have family rules, too. Its a requirement of any human organization. We just need to keep our rules in perspective, and realize that they are not necessarily Gods rules, but derivatives of Gods rules. A problem arises, however, 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. THE DAILY STUDY BIBLE SERIES. REVISED EDITION. THE GOSPEL OF LUKE. REVISED EDITION. Translated with an Introduction and Interpretation by WILLIAM BARCLAY. In that case it becomes self righteousness. Looking Down on Others 1. But when we begin to take pride in our own righteous behavior, its very easy to look down on those who dont behave this way as morally inferior to us. To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 1. The phrase looked down on is Greek exoutheneo, to show by ones attitude or manner of treatment that an entity has no merit or worth, disdain. 3Lets consider who we faithful, righteous Christians tend to look down on Punk rockers, surely, and Teenagers with body piercings and gothic clothing, 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 dont 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. Pharisees and Tax Collectors 1. To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 1. Just as the judge and the widow of the previous passage are opposites, so are the Pharisee and the tax collector. Pharisees were members of an exacting party of the Jews who believed in strictly observing Gods law. The tax collectors, on the other hand, followed another law entirely the law of the Roman oppressors. It was their job to collect taxes for the Romans. They worked on a tax farming system. Chief tax collectors bid on the contract for collecting taxes for a certain district. If the won the contract they would be responsible for delivering to the Romans the amount of money agreed upon. Then these chief tax collectors would employ others who resided in the various villages and sections of town to collect the tolls, taxes, and tariffs. Tax collectors werent just hated because they were considered turncoats and traitors. They were also considered cheaters. They would sometimes assess more taxes than was legal. If a farmer or businessman or caravaner couldnt or wouldnt pay, they would turn him over to the soldiers. Extortion and threats were part of this system. Tax collectors were considered the scum of the earth. It isnt hard to see the contrast between them the righteous Pharisee and the morally bankrupt, turncoat tax collector. Priding Oneself 1. Now Jesus, the storyteller, sets the figures into action. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself God, I thank you that I am not like other men robbers, evildoers, adulterers or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get. 1. Jews often stood as they prayed, looking up to heaven, often with hands raised. Look at the telling statement prayed about himself. The preposition pros can be translated about NIV, with referenceregard to, but it could also be rendered to NIV margin, toward, towards, to. 4 It could mean that he prayed silently, though the normal practice was to pray aloud, but quietly. But his entire prayer is about himself. He thanks God not for blessings but that he isnt a sinner like others. He first lists those who were known to be evil 1 robbers, Greek harpax, swindler or rogue 5, 2 evildoers, unrighteous people in general, and 3 adulterers. Then he compares himself to 4 the nearby tax collector. He also reminds God of how pious he is fasting and tithing.