Parable: Pharisee and the Tax Collector
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Luke’s Two Concerns
Luke’s Two Concerns
Luke doesn’t record them in chronological order, but collects them into categories. For Luke’s purposes, the timeline of when and where Jesus said this was not of primary importance. The necessary details from the moment in time when the parables are given are included in the opening verse (9). Luke is only concerned with giving us two facets of this encounter (1) to whom Jesus was talking, and (2) what Jesus said, the parable he told.
To Whom Was Jesus Talking?
To Whom Was Jesus Talking?
The people hearing this parable are described by two factors
They trusted in themselves that they were righteous (self-justification -I saved myself)
(Pharisees, lovers of money)
The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
(Lawyer questioning Jesus: “Who is my neighbor?”)
They viewed others with contempt (self-righteousness- I’m morally superior)
(Food sacrificed before idols: Eat or Don’t Eat … don’t judge one who does the other)
Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.
(Why despise or judge your brother? … We’ll all be judged)
Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;
Transition: This is Luke’s first concern: To whom is Jesus talking? Now to his second concern.... What did Jesus say?
What did Jesus say?
What did Jesus say?
Two men went up to the temple to pray (10)
HOUR OF PRAYER —> The first coincided with the morning sacrifice, at the 3d hour of the morning, at 9 AM therefore (Acts 2:15). The second was at the 6th hour, or at noon, and may have coincided with the thanksgiving for the chief meal of the day, a religious custom apparently universally observed (Mt 15:36; Acts 27:35). The 3d hour of prayer coincided with the evening sacrifice, at the ninth hour (Acts 3:1; 10:30). Thus every day, as belonging to God, was religiously subdivided, and regular seasons of prayer were assigned to the devout believer. Its influence on the development of the religious spirit must have been incalculable, and it undoubtedly is, at least in part, the solution of the riddle of the preservation of the Jewish faith in the cruel centuries of its bitter persecution
Pharisee’s Prayer (11-12)
Exterior Matters in check
Interior was rotting
Tax Collector’s Prayer (13)
Illustration: IRS tax scandal
Broken by sin (13a)
Isolated himself
Averted his eyes in shame
Writhing in guilt (angry at his sins)
Begging for mercy (13b)
MERCY - grant me favor with you
JESUS’ FINAL STATEMENT
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.”
Both knew about God (One more than the other)
Both knew right and wrong (One knew he was wrong, one didn’t
Both of them desired to talk to God (One asked for forgiveness, one didn’t)
Both of them were not saved (one knew, one didn’t)
ONLY ONE LEFT JUSTIFIED
Transition: The two were similar in some ways, but the different in their self-perception. One realized where he stood with God, and one had tricked himself.
Why Tell This Parable?
Why Tell This Parable?
Of all the things Jesus could have said, he chose this story for this circumstance. Why?
IT matters how you DO the right thing
Three criteria for right/wrong: means, motive, measure
Means: How did you go about doing it? Robin Hood’s problem … steal in order to give.
Motive: Why did you do it? I
Measure: How much did you do? Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Too little water, you get dehydrated and will die. Too much and you’ll drown. Give money, but also provide for your family and your needs.
It matters how you VIEW the right thing
Have my actions made me arrogant?
Have my actions made me
Interpretation/Application: Modern context (political divide? Religious divide? Familiarl divide? Within the church divide?) Explore these contexts more for more succinct application. Need to make us feel like Jesus was talking to us. Because he is. We want to be the tax colector, but often times we’re not. Make it deeper than pharisee bad, don’t be like pharisee. Tax Collector good, be like tax collector. Take the issue of prayer in the temple (Far concept) and make it applicable to our experiences (near concept).
HUMILITY STUFF
Story of “be the head of the table and get sent away from the table”