Justice ParablesSample

The Publican and the Pharisee

Pastor Frederick Harvey III

Spirit and Truth Fellowship

Jesus calls us to pay attention to the lens we use to view ourselves and others. Jesus presents this parable using two men who have opposite views of themselves: the Pharisee who “has it all together” and the tax collector who is, by his own admission, a mournful sinner. We can learn from the parable as we consider how the tendencies of both men can reflect our own attitudes.

American society has primed and trained us to take regular inventory of all of our accomplishments and be able to rattle them off whenever the opportunity arises. When searching for a job or career, we are taught to have one-to-three-minute elevator speeches to highlight how wonderful we are in our work. We show off how great life is on social media. We are the “selfie” generation. We can walk down any street and likely catch someone taking a photo of themselves doing absolutely nothing; then they instantly post it on social media, waiting for others to show adoration through “likes.”

The enemy in his schemes has tempted many in the church to fall into this same type of hyper-focus on self. We take pride in not being like those we deem inferior to ourselves. We look to our own goodness and delight in being a good Christian because of the work we do or the sin we seem to avoid. We compare ourselves to one another and assess spirituality by external manifestations of wealth. We scorn those who struggle with things we do not understand. We recklessly pronounce judgment and carelessly prescribe insincere “thoughts and prayers” to dismiss those with whom we cannot be bothered. When we reach a pinnacle of blindness, we begin to thank God that we are not like other people who struggle.

The tax collector, however, sees himself before the Holy God and realizes there is nothing he can present to God except a confession of sin and a plea for mercy. He offers no excuses and no comparisons, just a real awareness of his need for help from the only one able to save. In this posture of the heart, God delights.

Jesus says this man leaves justified or made right with God. What a blessing it is that simply acknowledging who God is and who we are activates the mercy of God and can lead us to receive justification and be made whole by God.

Friend, let this truth ring in your heart and in mine. We can choose to be like the Pharisee who was focused on self-promotion or the tax collector who acknowledged his sinful brokenness. Let us pray that our heart posture is one of humility before the Lord and with others. So that we may receive the blessing of God’s tender mercy that endures forever.

Questions

• Do you believe that you are better than someone else? If you do, why do you believe that?


• Does your behavior suggest that you know you are as much in need of grace as the tax collector?


• What do you currently take pride in when you think about yourself? Do you think God shares your opinion of yourself?


• Can you come to God in sincerity regarding your own selfishness and sin today?