The world belongs to God
The earth and all its people
Song “Spirit of the living God”
Reflection on Luke 18v9-14 The Pharisee and the tax collector
The parable of The Pharisee and the Tax Collector is the last episode of six dealing with Jesus' teaching on The Coming Kingdom. This is the Great Reversal, the Upside Down kingdom. It answers the question "Who will be found faithful when Jesus comes back?" It is a teaching / illustrative parable.
Luke notes that the parable is directed to people who are confident of their own righteousness and who therefore assume that they are approved before God. The Great Reversal, the Upside Down kingdom suggests otherwise!
The context is opposition to the Pharisees and their nit picking law keeping as a way to attain eternal life. Jesus is still speaking with his disciples. He challenges people secure in their own righteousness.
They were complacent, pleased with themselves. This may remind you of some of our political leaders! They trusted in themselves instead of God. They did not need God, or mercy, or forgiveness! They looked down on, despised and held others in contempt.
So the parable. Two men went to the temple to pray, for private prayer. The Pharisee is self righteous. Like Paul, before he met Christ, he could say "as to righteousness under the law, I am blameless", Phil.3:6. This is a common attitude for those who have adopted a merit-based religion. As Jesus tells the story, he had exceeded the law's demands. The law certainly didn't require fasting twice a week, nor was a person expected to give a tithe of everything they purchased. The tax collector, on the other hand, was anything but good. As part of a graft-ridden occupation which collaborated with the Roman government, he was a despised member of Jewish society. Unlike the Pharisee, he proclaimed his sinfulness and asked that God protect him from the judgement that was coming his way.
Morning and afternoon (evening) prayer services were a regular feature of temple worship, although people could come and pray at any time. Tax collectors were hated in Jewish society, (what’s our equivalent?). Here was a Jew working for the Roman government and feeding off his fellow Jews. He was viewed as a traitor, a collaborator.
The Pharisee settles himself so that he can address God and does this in the usual standing position, possibly with arms outstretched and quietly speaking to God. “I give thanks that I am not other men, (expressing his exclusivity). Not a robbers or swindlers, an evildoer, an adulterer, immoral, like this tax collector”! This says it all really. His heart attitude was way out of line! But he fasts a week twice a week! He tithes everything!
The tax collector in contrast stood at a distance and would not lift even his eyes to heaven. Standing either away from the people, in the outer court of the temple, expressing his unworthiness before God. He beat his breast, striking his chest.
And saying have mercy, pardon / forgive, propitiate me (See Ex.32:14. Note the Old Testament atonement association of this word iJlasqhti, particularly the use of the verb for the turning aside of God's wrath from the sinner to the sacrifice, or at least, the providing of a sacrifice that can make amends for the sinner). The setting of the story, in the temple, implies an atoning sense. This is not the usual word for "have mercy".
The tax collector is asking God to show mercy through atoning forgiveness. Given the root meaning of the Hebrew equivalent, is "to cover", we can at least say that he sought God's mercy in order to have his sins covered and the divine wrath removed from him. Have mercy on me the sinner!
The punch-line, v14a: Jesus now draws out the implications. The Pharisee had justified himself. The tax collector asked God to turn aside his righteous anger. Like Noah he became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith, (See Heb11v7). He went home reconciled with God. The verb used is dikaiow, "to justify", is also theologically charged; a word used only here in the gospels. It means justified, forgiven. This tax collector was declared right before God, approved in God's sight, judged right / covenant compliant. God considered him eternally righteous / holy in his sight, even though he was anything but a moral man. He asked God to cover / atone for his sins, and he did. It was he, rather than the other, who returned to his home, a man again at rights with God.
Luke draws a spiritual lesson from the parable: Self-exaltation will result in abasement, and self-abasement in exaltation. Good people can end up going to hell and bad people to heaven - such is the Great Reversal. This is the great levelling.
Song “Hallelu, Hallelujah”
The blessing of God be upon you
On those you love and those you meet
This day and forevermore. Amen
