Today’s devotion is on: The parable of the Pharisee and the
tax collector, and we’ll be reading in, Luke 18:9-14.
9 He also told this parable to some who
trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with
contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a
Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The
Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I
am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax
collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I
get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not
even lift up 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, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
In this parable Christ is speaking to
those who trust in themselves… in their own righteousness. In others words… in
their own right standing before God.
The Pharisees were religious and belonged to a sect of the
Jews that went to the extreme in trying to obey the law and on how to live. They were self-righteous and critical of
others. Yet despite this, most of them were respected by the Jews because of
their devotion to the law of God. The Jewish people viewed them as holy.
Tax collectors, on the other hand, were considered immoral
men. They were known to overcharge the people when they collected taxes for the
Roman government. They were looked down upon and often treated with disrespect.
Now it’s plain to see the difference in each man’s prayer.
Christ presented this parable to those who were trusting in
themselves that they were righteous, all the while despising others.
The Pharisee’s prayer was nothing more then a self-serving
attempt to tell God how righteous he was.
You see, although it’s commendable to know and keep the
law of God…
We must be careful not to jump from being concerned about
being obedient - to the belief that one has a better standing before God
because of their obedience.
That was the trap that the Pharisees had fallen into. They
trusted in themselves that they were righteous and then treated others [not
like themselves with contempt.
Now, look at the difference in the tax collector’s prayer: Here
we see the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to
heaven, beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
This man obviously recognized his guilt, and acknowledged that
he was a sinner and was asking for God’s mercy… and this man was justified.
Just as we are told in Romans 3:28;
28, “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”
You see, the Pharisee in this parable erred because He did
not understand God’s standard for righteousness.
The Lord does not grade on a curve. God doesn’t accept one
person and not another simply because one hasn’t committed as many sins as the
other.
No, if people want to be justified and declared righteous by
keeping the law… the standard is absolute perfection.
It is not enough to keep some of the commandments for
justification — you must keep them all.
This
would be a deadly proposition for us, for no one can keep God’s law
perfectly.
You see, the tax collector was justified because he
recognized His unrighteousness and His inability to make Himself righteous
before God.
He turned to God’s mercy alone and that’s the only way anyone
can be justified.
This parable is characteristic of the attitudes that are
common even today.
One that is full of pride and looks at themselves as right…
Or one that is humble, and recognizes their sins and asks
for God’s mercy…
The question we each must ask ourselves is: Which one are
we?
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