18:9-14
As in the previous parable, Luke telegraphed the meaning of this story in his introduction to the story. Luke wrote that the parable was directed to those “who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt”. (9)
The immediate audience must have been the Pharisees. They worked to obey all kinds of rules they invented to help them obey the law. As a result, they considered themselves righteous. And they looked at all others with contempt, or looked down on them, because they did not keep these rules.
Self righteousness and contempt go together. Almost anyone who feels he or she obeys all the rules will feel contempt for those who do not. Those whose religion has devolved into rule following, with no real love for God, are involved in legalism. Legalism breeds pride and pride breeds contempt. Legalism also tends to kill one’s love for God, for people come to feel that God owes them. If they are blessed, they deserved it. If they are not blessed, God is not doing his part. Grace and gratitude are lost.
Jesus conveyed his message by constructing a story around two characters: a Pharisee and a tax collector. (10) They were opposites in status. One would not expect a tax collector to go to the temple and pray, whereas Pharisees were very religious. The two men were also opposites in their approach to God.
A little side note: Jesus said the went up to the temple to pray. They had to go up because it was built on a hilltop.
The Pharisee
18:11-12
The Pharisee stood to pray, as was the common practice among Jews. It appears he stood in a prominent place to be noticed. He stood apart from everyone else. But he did not pray so much as brag. He bragged that he was not like other men, and named some sins others committed. He distinguished himself from the tax collector also. As we have seen, tax collectors were looked at as Roman collaborators and cheats.
The Pharisee then bragged about his specific acts of righteousness. He fasted twice per week. The Pharisees had come up with this requirement. The Law did not require it. The law only required one fast every year, on the Day of Atonement. (Leviticus 16) There is nothing wrong with doing more than the law requires, unless you interpret it as making you righteous through your acts and, especially, more righteous than others.
The man also tithed all that he received. Tithing was required under the law. It required them to tithe their seed, wine, oil, and the firstborn of the flocks. (Deuteronomy 14) Even then the Lord allowed them to consume the parts that were not burned in sacrifice. They were to eat it before the Lord and rejoice. In this instance, the man was obeying the law by tithing. He even tithed where it was not required. But he was bragging about it.
The Tax Collector
18:13
In contrast to the Pharisee, the tax collector went off by himself. He was contrite. He beat his breast with his hand, a sign he recognized his sin and was sorrowful and repentant. He also seemed to be ashamed. He would not look up to heaven as the Pharisee did, deeming himself unworthy.
In his conviction of sin, the tax collector cried out to God for mercy. He said “be merciful to me, a sinner”. (13) He realized that he was a sinner and that sinners are under the wrath of God. Paul wrote it clearly: “the wages of sin is death”. (Romans 6:23) He did not have the self righteousness of the Pharisee. So, he asked God to be merciful.
God gave the commandments, the law, to be obeyed. Yet, he knew men and women could not keep all the commandments. He knew they would sin. So, he gave them a way to obtain mercy. It was through the animal sacrifices. A man would place his hand on the animal sacrifice and confess his sins. This symbolized that the sinner’s guilt was transferred, or imputed, to the animal. The animal was then sacrificed, killed, on the altar. The animal died as a substitute for the sinner.
On the Day of Atonement, the high priest would take the blood of the sacrificed animal and sprinkle it on the mercy seat. This was the lid of the ark and the place where God’s presence dwelled. The ark was the container for the stones of the commandments. The sprinkled blood was the proof that that atonement had been made. The sacrifice had come between the Holy God and his sinful people.
The blood covered their sin and their guilt was removed. Additionally, God’s wrath was turned away from the sinner. The blood showed that God’s justice was satisfied and his wrath turned away. Then God could look on the sinner with favor rather than wrath.
This is what the tax collector was asking of God. He was asking God to cover his sin, turn away his wrath, and save him from eternal judgment.
Justification
18:14
God answered the prayer. Jesus said the tax collector was justified, made right with God. And he said the Pharisee was not. Jesus pronounced the tax collector righteous because he repented and asked for forgiveness. The Pharisee did not receive anything from God, including forgiveness, because he did not believe he needed it and did not ask for it.
To sum up, Jesus gave a principle he gave several times: those who exalt themselves will be humbled; those who humble themselves will be exalted by God. We must come to God in humility, acknowledging our sin and seeking mercy and forgiveness. He is the exalted one. We are not.
An Example of Humility - Children
18:15-17
The next story is a demonstration of the principle Jesus taught. People brought children to him, even babies, so that he would touch them, meaning to bless them. (15) These people, at a minimum, realized Jesus was a prophet and man of God. They thought he could bless their children.
The disciples rebuked the people. This was in keeping with the culture. Children were at the bottom of the social order, having no status at all. Nobody told children they were special in those days. So, the disciples figured that the children would annoy Jesus, who was, at least to them, an important person.
But Jesus countermanded the disciples. He wanted them to come. And he used them to point out a truth. It was, in fact, basically the same truth as in the previous story.
Jesus said it was those who receive the kingdom of God like a child who will enter it. They come in humility and in faith. They come because they love Jesus.
Even today, children love Jesus. Pick a young child and read him or her Bible stories about Jesus and they love him. They love him finding the little tax collector, because they are little people. They love him healing the sick, because they have been sick. They respond to Jesus’ love, compassion and mercy with no hidden agenda. We have to come to him the same way, in humility and love.
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