Luke 18:8-4
The prophet Isaiah’s description of his encounter with the vastness of the Almighty is fitting for our topic. “Woe is me! For I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Isaiah 6:5. In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis offers additional depth when he says: “In God you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself. Unless you know God as that, and therefore, know yourself as nothing in comparison, you do not know God at all. As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” Pg. 124.
In part one we read the description of Lucifer’s fall according to Isaiah 14 and by now you may be wondering, ‘how could Lucifer be in the presence of the Almighty and not realize the insufficiency within himself?’ This is a question I refuse to attempt to answer in some simplified way. Frankly speaking, I do not know. However, 2 Thessalonians 2:7 mentions something called the “…mystery of iniquity…” (some translations use lawlessness in the place of iniquity). Nevertheless, I find the workings of sin within the heart of Lucifer and even my own at times to be mysterious. Jesus addressed this issue head on in a parable that left His audience speechless.
Introducing the Characters
Jesus’ choice of characters, a pharisee and a tax collector, in the parable told in Luke 18: 8-14 were as opposite as the east from the west. Let’s take a look at how each was viewed in their society during their day.
– Pharisee is from a Greek word pharisaios which means separated ones. They were the most popular religious sect of Judaism and assumed the responsibility of preserving the teachings of the law of Moses. It was common for them to occasionally pray ritualistic prayers in public. They adhered dogmatically to the do’s and don’ts of the law. Not all were hypocrites but quite a few of them had become known as failing to live according to the unrealistic standards they demanded of others. They thought highly of themselves and Jesus sought to deflate their false sense of divine entitlement.
– Tax collectors were considered the scum of Jewish society. James M. Rochford describes why they were treated with such disdain. He explains: “In Jesus’ day, the Roman Empire subjugated the nation of Israel as a foreign, imperial power. Consequently, the Romans extracted taxes from the Jewish people. In their historical context, these taxes weren’t similar to modern day taxes, which pay for education, roads, and other public services. These taxes went directly to Rome-the occupying empire dominating Israel. In other words, the Jewish people were paying their oppressors to oppress them! …These tax collectors would harass people wherever they could, and they would tax them on the spot. So, even if a different tax collector shook you down from money up the road, you could be taxed again by another collector just hours or minutes later! Second, they would also place an inflated and “fictitious value on property or income” in order to get a higher percentage of tax. Third, they would give loans to people who couldn’t pay the tax, and then charge high interest on this ‘private debt.’… The only recourse that the Jewish people had was to ostracize these wicked people.” Evidenceunseen.com
The Parable
“He (Jesus)…told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves and were confident that they were righteous and who viewed others with contempt: Two men went up into the temple [enclosure] to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and began praying to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of me-swindlers, unjust (dishonest), adulterers-or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even raise his eyes toward heaven, but was striking his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful and gracious to me, the [especially wicked] sinner [that I am]!’ I tell you, this man went to his home justified [forgiven of the guilt of sin and placed in right standing with God] rather than the other man; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself [forsaking self-righteous pride] will be exalted.” Luke 18:8-4
The Main Point
The opening of the parable reveals that there were people in the audience who trusted in themselves for righteousness and looked down on others. The question that some were probably asking was ‘how could God justify a tax collector over a pharisee?’ Simply put, the tax collector had enough humility to recognize his need and asked to be justified while the pharisee, blinded by pride, did not. The tax collector prayed to God while the pharisee prayed to himself. The tax collector confessed his sin and requested God’s mercy while the pharisee praised himself for his own works. Despite how hated the tax collectors were by their counterparts, humility granted them favor with the Most High. In contrast, self-exaltation had led the pharisee into the temple but prevented him from standing in the presence of Holy One of Israel. Such a parable shows that Jesus was more interested in dispelling the darkness caused by misbeliefs than He was in growing His number of followers.
Conclusion
Unless you and I come to a point where we recognize and accept that it is “Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to His mercy He saved us…” Titus 3:5 we will remain “…dead in trespasses and sins.” Ephesians 2:1. Pride tempts us to trust in ourselves for justification while humility enables us to rest in God’s power and work alone. At every turn it’s a conflict we each must decide to engage in: will we allow self-sufficiency to rule or will we choose to bury self in the dust before the presence of Almighty God?