Storyteller: The Parables of Jesusනියැදිය

The Heart of God (The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector)

Luke shares the meaning of the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector before it is told, explaining that it is for those who have an elevated sense of self-importance before God and toward others.

Jesus carefully exposes the dangers of pride while also revealing God’s nature toward the humble. The Bible is a God-centered story, calling us to respond with a heart that reflects the truth of Who He is.

Therefore, Jesus tells the tale of two men, both of whom are sinners and both of whom come to the Temple to pray. The difference being that one man is honest before God about his sin and the condition of his heart and the other is not.

After a careless mention of God, the Pharisee devolves into a self-righteous monologue, listing his own accomplishments, using the pronoun “I” a staggering five times, while passing judgment on the tax collector and comparing him to murderers and robbers.

While the Pharisee seems like an easy target for criticism, Jesus might be gently inviting us to confront our own need for approval. True, biblical righteousness comes from being made right with God and accepted by Him. If left to ourselves, the desire for God’s approval gets twisted as we seek affirmation from others.

Jesus offers a contrast in the tax collector, presenting an alternative option, acknowledging our sinfulness before God rather than seeking validation through personal efforts. Standing at a distance, unable to look heavenward, the tax collector beats his chest in deep remorse, confessing that he is not just a sinner but the sinner and recognizing the vast distance his sin has created between himself and God.

Despite being a sinner, the tax collector understood God’s heart in a way that the Pharisee did not. Therefore, he appeals for mercy based on God’s faithful character, and he receives forgiveness.

Jesus highlights a key biblical principle twice, first saying, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14, ESV), and then again by using the words up and down at the beginning and the end. He constantly reminds us how the Kingdom of God is a great reversal from the kingdom of the world. However, this kind of living is impossible apart from complete trust in God.

Paul describes this concept in Philippians when he says Jesus humbled Himself by dying on the cross and God exalted Him with “the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father” (Philippians 2:10, ESV).

God delights in executing mercy, justice, and forgiveness to all—even Pharisees—who come in humility, confession, and repentance. This is the heart of God.

Prayer

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9, ESV)

Jesus, I confess I am a sinner who desperately needs Your forgiveness and mercy. Expose my privilege and the ways I consider myself better than others, even the Pharisee in Your story. Amen.