INTRODUCTION

I love Bible stories, and I believe many of us who grew up in the faith find them to be a beautiful source of teachings that still resonate with us today. Stories like David and Goliath, Elijah, Joseph, Moses leading the Israelites in the desert, and Noah's ark have been a constant companion in our spiritual journey. However, there is a challenge with all stories, including biblical ones. When we know the ending, it can diminish the excitement and surprise of the narrative. We need to make an effort to revive the emotions and enjoy the unexpected twists as if we were hearing them for the first time. This is especially true for the parable we are about to explore.

TWO PEOPLE

1. A Pharisee: A respected man known for his knowledge and strict adherence to religious laws. Pharisees were considered the most orthodox in interpreting the law and were zealous in their commitment to obey it. However, Jesus exposed their hypocrisy publicly.

2. A Tax Collector: A man completely opposite to the Pharisee. Tax collectors were despised in society for collaborating with the Roman Empire and extorting money from their fellow Jews. They were among the most hated individuals, along with Gentiles.

These two characters represent opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of customs, reputation, profession, and ultimately their standing before God.

TWO PRAYERS

Both men went to the temple to pray. It doesn't matter if it was the designated time for worship; what matters is that each one approached God in prayer. The content of their prayers reveals Jesus' purpose in telling this parable.

1. The Pharisee's Prayer:

The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

- The Pharisee's prayer is divided into two parts: negative and positive.

- In the negative part, he lists the sins he believes he has not committed. He takes pride in his outward appearance of righteousness and compares himself to others, especially the tax collector who was present. This man had a good memory for his achievements in his walk with God.

- In the positive part, he mentions the good practices that set him apart from other "sinners." Fasting twice a week and tithing everything he earns are examples of his strict adherence to religious practices. This man seemed to fear God and was confident in his ability to prove it through precise dates and amounts.

- The Pharisee felt proud of what he did and did not do, praising his own ability to obey God. By focusing on the faults of others, his self-confidence grew stronger.

- However, let's pay attention to how he begins this series of self-praise: "I thank you..." The Pharisee was grateful to God, but for his own righteousness. He was saying, "I'm glad I'm not like these people; I am different because I obey." He did not mention that it was thanks to God's power that he could overcome temptation; he only had eyes for his own righteousness.

- The Pharisee's prayer reveals the danger of living a seemingly correct and righteous life but devoid of God's grace and mercy. This leads to personal pride and a sense of superiority over others.

2. The Tax Collector's Prayer:

"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'"

- In stark contrast to the Pharisee, the tax collector kept his distance and did not dare to lift his eyes to heaven. This indicates his deep conviction of being at the mercy of God's punishment. He was fully aware of his true condition before God: lost and unable to escape His wrath. He humbly pleaded for mercy and forgiveness, seeking refuge in God's grace alone.

- Although the tax collector may have done some good things, he did not mention them. He did not trust in anything he could do; he solely relied on God's mercy.

TWO OUTCOMES

"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God."

- The unexpected ending and the lesson Jesus teaches us are clear: The man who approached God to boast about his good deeds was rejected simply because he believed he could earn God's favor. Anyone who relies on their own righteousness is rejected because they disregard God's grace.

- On the other hand, the man who approached God confessing his inability to please Him and pleading for mercy was justified precisely because of this humble act of trusting in God's grace and mercy.

THE WARNING:

"For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

- Trusting in our own righteousness, good deeds, and moral achievements is seen by God as an act of self-exaltation, which diminishes His glory in the work of salvation. By boasting about our good works, we are declaring ourselves as our own saviors and implying that we don't need Christ. This is something God cannot tolerate.

- It is easy to be drawn into the same attitude as the Pharisee when we believe that:

- We hold the correct doctrines.

- We read the right Christian books.

- We practice the correct disciplines of the Christian life.

- We are actively involved in Christian ministry, not just sitting on the sidelines.

- We may start to think highly of ourselves in our Christian walk, especially when we observe the blatant immorality in society: greed, licentiousness, homosexuality, etc. Since we don't feel guilty of these gross forms of sin, we begin to feel quite good about our Christian life. This was the fatal flaw of the Pharisee: believing he was righteous on his own, which Jesus exposed through this parable. It serves as a classic example of religious pride and self-satisfaction.

- On the contrary, the tax collector was painfully aware of his sinful condition. He didn't just ask for forgiveness for certain sins; he pleaded for mercy because he was a sinner. In the original language, the text says, "God, have mercy on me, THE sinner." He didn't compare himself favorably to anyone; he didn't compare himself to anyone at all. He wasn't concerned about measuring up to anyone; he was concerned about not measuring up to a holy, righteous, and just God. Realizing that he stood alone with his sin before God, he begged for mercy. Approaching God by acknowledging our lost condition and seeking His forgiveness and mercy is an act of humility that God appreciates.

- "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time."

CONCLUSION

Where do you place your hope for eternal life? Are you secretly relying on the false hope of what you are doing for God? Be careful, as this confidence is not based on:

- The internal testimony of the Holy Spirit.

- A life that fears God.

- Instead, it is based on the mistaken belief that you don't deserve punishment:

- Because you think you haven't done much wrong.

- Because you believe God is so kind that He wouldn't send anyone to hell.

- Because you think you have done a lot of good for others.

- Feeling secure in your salvation is not the same as being saved. Let's not forget the Pharisee in this parable, which was specifically addressed to "some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else." Remember Proverbs 14:12: "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end, it leads to death."

But someone might think, "This parable doesn't apply to me. I am already saved by faith in Christ. I have been baptized in this church, so I don't have anything to do with this warning."

Let's not forget that this parable was specifically addressed to "some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else."

- Jesus is dealing with the experience of feeling proud of personal righteousness, moral and spiritual achievements, and the pride of fulfilling God's law. However, the behavior of these individuals reflects that this confidence is devoid of God's grace and righteousness, replaced by personal effort and merit.

- This misplaced confidence led them to despise others who, unlike them, were not fulfilling the demands of the law. They might have been glad that such people existed so they could feel superior or be recognized as blameless.

- Our mistake lies in how we define sin. We often describe it in its most obvious forms, the sins we are not guilty of. As one of my seminary professors used to say, "The 10 sins on the Christian list: One: adultery, Two: fornication," etc. Robbery, kidnapping, rape, drug trafficking, etc. Of course, it's easy not to consider ourselves guilty of these sins.

- However, as another author mentions, our problem does not lie in these scandalous sins but in what he calls "refined sins": sins committed by good people without losing their positions or good reputation in the church or in the eyes of others:

- Judging and criticizing others.

- Gossiping.

- Holding grudges.

- Bitterness.

- Unforgiving spirit.

- Impatience.

- Irritability.

- Envy of others' achievements.

- Self-centeredness.

- Lust and sexual immorality.

- Selfish ambitions.

- Love of power and praise.

- Independent spirit without commitment.

- Manipulation for personal gain.

- Indifference to the temporal or eternal well-being of those around us.

- Materialism.

Let's consider the seriousness of sin as God sees it. Let's not take scandalous or refined sins lightly.

Honestly, how do you feel in your Christian walk? Do you feel better than others? Reflect on this deeply in your heart. Perhaps secretly, it is not so.

Hopefully, your prayer when you wake up will be: "God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

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