The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Text: Luke 18:9-14
Introduction: A grocery store checkout clerk once wrote to advice-columnist Ann Landers to complain that she had seen people buy "luxury" food items--like birthday cakes and bags of shrimp--with their food stamps. The writer went on to say that she thought all those people on welfare who treated themselves to such non-necessities were "lazy and wasteful." A few weeks later Landers’ column was devoted entirely to people who had responded to the grocery clerk. One woman wrote: I didn’t buy a cake, but I did buy a big bag of shrimp with food stamps. So what? My husband had been working at a plant for 15 years when it was shut down. The shrimp casserole I made was for our anniversary dinner and it lasted three days. Another woman wrote: I’m the woman who bought eh $17 cake and paid for it with food stamps. I thought the checkout woman in the store would burn a hole through me with her eyes. What she didn’t know is the cake was for my little girl’s birthday. It will be her last. She has bone cancer and will probably be gone in six to eight months. Have you ever erroneously rushed to judgment about another person all the while thinking that you’ve cornered the market on righteous living? Some people would say that others who are quick to do so are seeking to justify their own behaviors. The parable we’re looking at today warns us to "beware the sin of self-righteousness." Before we get into it, may I call your attention to the fact that while this parable is talking about a Pharisee, Jesus is not limiting its application to him. Remember that the disciples were also in danger of such behavior and so were warned (See Luke 12:1-2). In fact they had already demonstrated similar attitudes in their treatment of others (See Luke 9:46-50). The sin of self-righteousness is something that anyone can struggle with. So as we look at this passage together, I ask you to resist the urge to elbow the person beside you and encourage him or her to listen. Instead ask the Lord to show you if and how this sin has found its way into your life. Now let’s make some observations about self-righteous people.
I. Self-Righteous people are often spiritual people (See Luke 18:10-12). The Bible tells us in Romans 1:18-20 that every person is aware that God exists. It goes on to tell us that every person also has a sense of the moral demands that God places upon our lives (See Romans 2: 14, 15. God’s law functions as a type of moral compass that will either accuse or defend us on the Day of Judgment. The only way we will be defended by the Law is through faith in Christ. Through perfect obedience and faith Jesus satisfied the righteous requirements of the law and brought righteousness to us (See Romans 10:4). In spite of this there are some who believe they can establish their own righteousness through spiritual piety. Consider the example of the Pharisee in this parable. He assumes he is engaged in all the right activities to bring God’s favor. He is praying and in his prayer mentions the spiritual disciplines of fasting and tithing. All three (prayer, fasting and tithing) are worthy spiritual disciplines that can help us to be more Christ-like. The sin is not found in his actions, but in his self-righteous attitude. Let’s look at another place in the Scriptures where we’ve seen the same combination with the same outcome (See Matthew 6:2, 5, 16). Application: The danger with the sin of self-righteousness is that, just like the Pharisee in this parable, we rarely ever see it in ourselves. Consider the case of Uzziah from 2 Chronicles 26. He experienced many spiritual successes at a relatively early age in life. (1) He was made king by the people of Judah at the ripe age of 16; (2) He prevailed in war against the enemies of Israel; (3) He fortified the city of Jerusalem and acquired great wealth; (4) He organized a well-trained and outfitted army -- but it was his own sense of self-righteousness that nearly led to his ruin. Uzziah entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense, an act that at first glance might seem to have been a product of his zeal for the Lord, but turned out to be an act of rebellion against the will of God (See 2 Chronicles 26:16-21). Only Aaron, his sons and their descendants were permitted to burn incense in the temple to the Lord (See Numbers 16:39, 40). It took an act of extreme courage on the part of Azariah and eighty other priests to confront the king and prevent him from doing something that would have resulted in his death. That’s the way it is with self-righteous people. Because they are engaged in spiritual activity, they seldom see the error of their ways. Beware the sin of self-righteousness! Spiritual people are not always in the will of God. Illustration: I once had a talk with a Christian woman about a behavioral issue clearly addressed in the Bible. She held a different view from me on the issue, which of course is her right, but her reason for doing so bothered me. She said, "I know it’s true because I feel it in my heart." What she saying was "If you’re heart was as pure as mine, you’d know it too." I was sorely tempted to read Jeremiah 17:9 to her.
II. Self-Righteous people are often satisfied people (See Luke 18:11-13). Let’s consider some contrasts between the prayer of the Pharisee and that of the tax collector.
A. The Pharisee’s Prayer - It starts out as if it is going to be a prayer of thanksgiving to God, but ends up a prayer of self-satisfaction. It was probably spoken out loud and meant to accomplish two things: (1) it was a sermon to the less fortunate who were themselves there to worship. He graciously offered a few words of judgment along with some instruction in righteousness; (2) it was meant to impress all those who were within earshot with the level of sacrifice he was willing to make in his commitment to true spirituality. How often would they have the opportunity to get such a good look at a truly pious man? Consider his approach.
1. He prayed while standing. Note that the Pharisee, though he is praying in the context of corporate worship at the temple, stood where he could be seen. This gesture is meant to elevate him above those who embody the very essence of "uncleanness" (i.e. robbers, evil doers, adulterers, and tax collectors).
2. He fasted twice a week. Fasting could be undertaken for a variety of purposes including: to prepare oneself for service (See Matthew 4:1, 2); as a sign of repentance (See Nehemiah 9:1); during seasons of prayer (See Daniel 9:3); and when commission others for God’s service (See Acts 14:23). But this Pharisee far exceeded the expectations of others when it came to this spiritual discipline. He fasted, not because God had impressed his heart to do so, but because it was what righteous people did.
3. He gave a tenth of everything. The standard was to give a tenth of certain crops as they were harvested, but he would never consider such a small sacrifice. He would do more than anyone could possibly expect. His reputation depended on it.
B. The Tax Collector’s Prayer - He, too, stood, even at a distance, but for a completely different reason. A tax collector was a person of low status, a deviant who often sold out his Jewish brethren for money (See Luke 3:12, 13). He assumed no rightful place among the others, nor did he attempt to take one. He did not consider himself worthy to stand with God’s people before the altar. His prayer was one of dissatisfaction with himself.
1. He was humbled. This was evidenced by his unwillingness even to lift his eyes up to heaven. Worshippers usually lifted up their closed eyes to God (See Psalm 123:1), but not this time. The posture of humility is to take the low road (See Romans 12:16).
2. He was shamed. The beating of one’s own chest is a sign of extreme anguish or intense anger in the Middle East (See Jeremiah 31:18, 19). He cried out in his anguish, "God, have mercy on me, the sinner (The definite article, "the," is found in the Greek and rightly translated by the NASB)." While the Pharisee thought of others as sinners, the tax collector would not even go there. He was only concerned that he, himself, was "the" sinner.
Illus: In September of 1994 the Associated Press reported on a demonstration by Indian farmers in New Delhi, India. They were protesting the government of India’s new plan to import three million tons of manure from the Dutch to be used as fertilizer. "Why?" asked Indian farmers. There is no shortage of cows in India. And manure from India would not be tainted by pesticides. So in protest, about one hundred Indian farmers rolled six ox carts piled high with top-quality, homegrown manure right up to the Parliament. "Our manure is better than your manure," they said. Needless to say they got their legislators’ attention. You know, self-righteous people are like the Indian farmers. They want to argue that their manure (and that’s the term the Apostle Paul used when referring to his own human achievements in Philippians 3:8) is better than the manure of others. That may be true, but it’s still manure and it should never be assumed that it will have any bearing on eternal things. Beware the sin of self-righteousness! It may lead to a false sense of satisfaction.
III. Self-Righteous people are often surprised people (See Luke 18:14). The self-righteous Pharisee asked for nothing and received nothing. The tax collector came to the temple in humility and was justified by God. Like other "sinners" he found himself included among God’s people. Why "sinners?" Because they lived under no pretense of their own self-righteousness. They were sick and they knew it (See Luke 5:30-32). Application: I wonder how many people are going to be surprised by our Lord when He returns and they find themselves on the outside looking in (See Matthew 25:1-12). They have never properly prepared for the coming Kingdom of Christ. They have foolishly placed their confidence in their own righteousness. They have neglected to humble themselves and receive the righteousness of God in Christ (See Romans 3:20-22). My guess is that there will be many surprised "disciples" who while expecting a place in the kingdom, will be left out in the cold.
You know you’re struggling with self-righteousness...
1. when you are quick to rush into the judgment of others.
2. when you tend to minimize your sin while maximizing others’.
3. when you feel you’ve arrived spiritually.
Conclusion: Beware the sin of self-righteousness! It can lead you places you would not wish to go. Years ago Joe Bayly visited some German Christians who had been devoted soldiers in the German army during WWII. Two of them had been put up for promotion to become 2nd Lieutenants in the Nazi army. The commandant told them he would approve the promotion on one condition: that they join the Officer’s Club. Being a member of the club would require them to attend some weekend dances. These young men believed that dancing was wrong because it could lead to immorality. Because of their convictions, they turned down the promotion. Later in their military careers these same men were assigned to the death camps where thousands of Jews were stuffed into ovens and killed. Even though they did not directly participate in the slaughter, they knew what was going on. Yet the never voiced any protest. When Joe talked to them many years after the war, they looked back on their experiences with no regret, convinced that they had made the right decisions. For them, not conforming to social pressure and refusing to dance was an act of righteousness. Conforming to the patriotic mass murder and remaining silent while thousands of Jews burned left them with no feelings of unrighteousness. When we set our own standard of righteousness, we are capable of anything.
