Parables short stories because sometimes stories get under our skin in a way that straight up advice, rules, or instruction won t. When we hear a story, we can picture ourselves IN it We experience it with our mind we hear, understand and interpret it, but also with our heart we engage it on a different level, we enter into it. Jesus used stories to teach, because Jesus cares where our hearts are at. Jesus wants our hearts to long for the things of God, And that comes through being inspired which straight instruction cannot always do. Stories inspire us. So Jesus used stories to teach about God s Kingdom. We ve heard a lot of different stories that Jesus used to teach about God s Kingdom, Over the past 10 weeks as we ve travelled through this summer season, and through this series. And today we re hearing the story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. One of the things I like about this story is that it tells us who it is aimed at The Scripture says, Jesus told a story to some people who thought they were better than others and who looked down on everyone else Now, the thing is, it would probably be pretty easy for most of us to dismiss this story at this point: It s not for me. I don t look down on everyone, I don t think I m better than everyone And that s probably true. We probably don t look down on EVERYONE. We probably don t think we re better than EVERYONE. BUT here s the problem we all fall into thinking we re better than someone at least every once in a while. It s kind of a natural thing. I was chatting with a young Mom the other night and she was telling me that her daughter has a number of food sensitivities including allergy to apple juice. 1
She s fine with a fresh apple, but apple juice or apple sauce makes her ill. So, she was out with her daughter doing back-to-school shopping as most Moms are at this time of year, and they decided to start the day with breakfast at McDonalds. And because of her daughter s allergy, she ordered a small sprite with her daughter s breakfast she felt it was the only choice that wouldn t aggravate her daughter s sensitivities. And a woman in line behind her made the comment, Pop before noon? As if this was the worst thing a mother could ever do to her child. The person in line didn t know this Mom, didn t know the details of the child s sensitivities, she just made an assumption. A judgment. Who among us hasn t done the same? When we re out in the world going about our day and we see someone doing something differently than we would do it, we have a tendency towards judging others at least, I know I do maybe you do, too. We sometimes jump to conclusions, we sometimes think that we are better than others, that our ways are better than another s ways, that we know how to do things right. Which means, this story is very much for us. Whether we score high or low on the thinking better of ourselves than others scale, we ve all fallen into that behavior at least on occasion, and we could use a reminder of why such behavior doesn t honor God, doesn t benefit us or the others we might be judging. We could use the reminder of why such behavior doesn t bring the Kingdom of God close. 2
So. Jesus says, 10 Two men went into the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood over by himself and prayed, God, I thank you that I am not greedy, dishonest, and unfaithful in marriage like other people. And I am really glad that I am not like that tax collector over there. 12 I go without eating for two days a week, and I give you one tenth of all I earn. Now, by all accounts, The Pharisee does all that is right. He does the things that honor God: He is not greedy, dishonest, unfaithful, He goes without food the act of spiritual fasting, an act of devotion to God and he tithes giving one tenth of his earnings to God, a way of recognizing that all he has comes as a gift from God. Jesus audience would have been nodding at each other, in agreement with all that the Pharisee has said. This man is holy, and righteous before God. But then Jesus continues his story with these words: 13 The tax collector stood off at a distance and did not think he was good enough even to look up toward heaven. He was so sorry for what he had done that he pounded his chest and prayed, God, have pity on me! I am such a sinner. The tax collector would have been the villain in Jesus audiences eyes. His job was to MAKE the people of Israel pay burdensome taxes to Rome Who occupied their country. His job was to make poor people pay the enemy. Surely a tax collector can do nothing right. And yet. Here is this man who stands quietly off in a corner, pouring out his heart, and begging God s forgiveness for his fallen state. 3
At this point, the audience would have felt a little uncomfortable. Because who could not sympathize with one who comes humbly and honestly before God begging for forgiveness? Even if that one IS a Tax Collector. You see, this is the power of story, It plays upon our emotions. We feel things for the characters. We identify with them, or we find ourselves alienated by them. We see ourselves in them, and find that the story is about us as much as it is about them. So Jesus says, When the two men went home, it was the tax collector and not the Pharisee who was pleasing to God. If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored. All of a sudden the one that his audience would have pegged as the villain, Is revealed as the one who pleased God. I wonder what it was like to be in the audience that day, I wonder who went away chastened and how they might have lived differently from then on. I wonder who went away encouraged, understanding perhaps for the first time That their humble, broken prayers were pleasing to God. Jesus says if you put yourself above others, you will be put down it s almost as if you have no where to go but down. If you elevate yourself, you have somewhere from which to fall. And the fall when it comes may be mighty. The Pharisee did so much that was right he honored God in many of his ways. But what his prayer revealed was that his heart was in a place of judgment over others, a place of self-righteousness. And the problem with self-righteousness is that it pushes God out of the way. It puts the self in the center, in the spotlight. Only God deserves to be in the center, Only God deserves the spotlight. 4
So when we feel the way the Pharisee felt, And think the way the Pharisee is thinking in this story, We forget that any good thing we do is evidence of God within us Every good and perfect gift comes from God. As one of my favourite Christian songwriters puts it: God, I m thankful, that I m incapable of doing any good on my own. Jesus says, if you humble yourself, you will be honored. If you remember your deep need for God, Your brokenness, Your ability to get it wrong so much of the time, You will be honored. Because God loves honesty. God loves it when we can say, Wow, I m a mess, and I need you. God is ready to answer that prayer, to come to the aid of the one who admits his or her need, to lift up the lowly. Because that is God s privilege and God s pleasure: To lift up the lowly. To provide strength to the weak. To make whole the broken. Jesus humbled himself to the point of death Death on a cross which was the most horrible, shameful death one could experience in that day. And the Scripture tells us that therefore, God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name. So that when we humble ourselves and call upon the name of Jesus, We could trust that we would be healed and made whole, That we would be made right with God, That we would be adopted into God s Kingdom, Becoming sons and daughters of Heaven, Called to do his work in this world, To bring about his Kingdom on this earth. 5
It s not easy to be humble all the time. There will be times when we are tempted to think better of ourselves than others, to look down on others, to trust in our own ways rather than the ways of God. May this short story by Jesus remind us That the greatest good is to be found in coming before God humbly, Worrying about our own short comings Rather than those we might see in others, Trusting that God is big enough to accept us as we are, And then work to heal what is broken in us. Let us pray. 6