the-pharisee-the-tax-collector-study-notes

Lessons on the Way to the Cross: The Pharisee and Tax Collector

Luke 18:9‑14

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Guilt Away's intention, and success, tell us something about ourselves. In spite of all our psychological sophistication and attempts at redefining morality, feelings of guilt continue to be a widespread experience in the Western world. A sense of guilt is a problem for us in the Western world. We sense there is some mark we have missed. We sense that there is something wrong inside us that we’d like to correct.

Donald Miller said he discovered this as a young boy (and I remember this too from my boyhood). He said after doing looking at himself after he had done wrong and said, “What’s wrong with me?”

I knew there was something wrong with me, and it wasn’t only me. I knew it was everybody. It was like a bacteria or a cancer or a trance. It wasn’t on the skin; it was in the soul. It showed itself in loneliness, lust, anger, jealousy, and depression… It was as if we were cracked, couldn’t love right, couldn’t feel good things for very long without screwing it all up… (Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz).

In Jesus’ world, this sense of wrongness often was expressed more by a sense of shame than guilt. His was a society in which people longed for approval – especially from their extended families – but also from their larger communities including the religious and political leaders and most certainly of Jehovah God. But they too struggled with being able to hit that mark and live up to what was expected of them.

These senses both of guilt and shame go very deep. We try to hide them or deny them or compensate for them. But, it leaves most people lacking a deep sense of inner shalom, of lasting peace. And Jesus came to deal with them so that we might have the opportunity to live well – to have eternal life, which is a life right with God; approved by God.

And, near the end of Jesus’ life – as he is just about to go into Jerusalem, Jesus tells a story that deals with our deep inner need to be made whole. V. 9,14: To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable… I tell you that the tax collector, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

The Problem

What Jesus introduces here is a problem with two different solutions – one that works and one that doesn’t work. I know that many people in our world read this story and, on first reading, see little personal application to their own worlds. This talk about a man trying to establish his own moral righteousness doesn’t resonate with how we think about ourselves.

But, the words the Bible uses are carefully chosen address our deepest human needs. The notion of “being right” in v. 9 and “being justified” in v. 14 communicate related and profound about us. They were used in two main ways:

A courtroom – In which a person is declared right or wrong according to the law – the verdict is of guilty or innocent. This is the “something is wrong with me” problem that Miller wrote about.
A family – For being approved by someone we respect, especially the family patriarch. This is the “tell me I’m OK” problem that many live with when we feel we cannot quite live up to family expectations.

What Jesus is addressing in this parable is what psychologists have sometimes addressed as the problem of self-esteem. It’s what Corning and Bergsma were trying to alleviate with “Guilt Away.” And in extended family cultures, it’s what the family I lived with in Japan so long ago tried to explain to me. I had just read an article about Japanese businessmen who would lose their jobs. They still would dress up for work and go outside to their cars as if they were driving to work each morning. Apparently, there were places where well-dressed but unemployed people could meet. And, if the men stayed unemployed for a longer period of time, the suicide rate was extremely high. I asked my host family, the Osawas, why this happened and Mr. Osawa said, “Oh, you wouldn’t understand – but they are ashamed. They believe their families are disgraced by their failure. And, it’s not altogether bad, Greg. It’s only a very evil person who does not care what others think. That kind of person would do anything.”

Do you see the problem? In some cultures, this problem of something not quite measuring up comes out as guilt. In other cultures, it comes out as shame. There is approval that we desperately seek and must live lives of deception so we can find it. Ultimately, we were made to have God’s approval. But, we know ourselves. We know we’ve missed God’s mark and, deep down, we know that God knows it too.

Both of these related problems are revealed in Genesis 1-3. The standard for Adam and Eve was to enjoy life but not to eat from the one tree. They disobeyed and were hiding from God out of guilt. They knew they had done wrong. At the same time, they were meant to live lives basking in God’s approval – walking and talking with God in the garden. Genesis 2-3 drive this home, “They lived life unashamed” until they fell short and hide part of their lives from God.

And, Jesus takes on both the guilt and shame problem in this short parable – and he shows us the two ways people can try to find solution.

Solution #1: Working hard to fix the outside so the inside feels better (the Pharisee’s attempt)

The Pharisee prayed about himself, “God, I think you that I am not like others – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector (18:11).”

On the surface, no sense of guilt seemed to torment this man – but I doubt this was true. I imagine he knew that he had always tried to do what had been expected of him. And her had to make his case to God about why he was OK. How did he go about it?

First, he sought approval by comparison.

"Thank you God," he said, "that I'm not like evil people in this world." Then, he became even more personal about it. "Thank you, God, that I'm not like that tax collector over there.

This is a classic attempt to feel good about ourselves that is rooted in keeping certain external rules – that others haven’t kept as well. We can always find someone around us so bad that we don't think we look so bad by comparison. There are always some sins we believe we haven't done or done so extremely. And, if we go this path, we tend to concentrate on that list of dos and don’ts to mask any sense of inadequacy. That's what this man did. He made comparisons with the most rotten people he could imagine, i.e., robbers, adulterers and evildoers.

And the things he picked in verse 11 were wrongs. It’s wrong to rob and commit adultery. God didn’t make us to live that way. But, notice that he had no interest in things internal. “Father, help me to love those people as you do. Help me to be patient as you are.” Jesus had to tell ongoing stories to get deep into the lives of people like this who just focused on external rules – like the parable of the Good Samaritan in which a theologian/lawyer had a problem with lovelessness toward people different from himself. Do you remember it? Or the parable of the lost son in which the rule-keeping son had a big-time problem with pride and ingratitude.

Now, listen to me: If we had met these two men, it would have been the Pharisee that we would have thought to be good. He did good things. He did his best. We too often have our list of rules – often good rules: I don’t get drunk. I don’t do drugs. I’m faithful to my spouse. I don’t embezzle money. I tithe to the church. I bring my kinds to the youth program. I must be OK!” But, still we know something is missing. Like the rich young asked Jesus, “I’ve kept the rules since my youth! What more must I do to live as God has made me to live?” And Jesus looked inside and said, “Something else is your God. Deal with that problem inside and you will live!”

Notice the Pharisee’s prayer: I thank God that…” That way of praying is always a red flag. Good thank you notes say, “I thank you for…” Then, we thank people for what they have done for us. But, this man says, “I thank you “that”… and from then on he only talks about himself and what he has done or not done. And this way of thinking we’re OK by comparing ourselves to others is lethal. This man had fallen short of what God had made him to be. And, he is not declared right or approved by Jesus – in spite of all the good he has done.

Second, he sought approval by compensation.

Notice how he sneaks something in with the last part of his prayer in v. 12: I fast twice a week... According to the Law of Moses, people were expected to fast one day in the whole year ‑‑ even though over the years a few more fasts were added to that one as a part of the Jewish tradition. But it's quite clear that this Pharisee was quite proud that he went way beyond that. "Twice a week‑‑that's what I'll do‑‑at least!" And as for his giving, he didn't just tithe his income as most conscientious Jewish people did. No, he tithed everything he had all the way down to the spices in his spice rack. It's a part of that thinking that, "Well, I've done extra credit work. I've done more than others. So that will make up for anything I may have fallen short in."

In the first part of his prayer, he had addressed important moral imperatives like robbing and adultery – but now he moves to a matter of personal preference to make himself look good to the world and to God. Do you see it? He takes a personal preference and includes it among the divine commands. He suggests, “Look what I do that others don’t!” He takes a neutral thing like fasting 100 times a year (that might be fine to do) and turns it into a way that, he thinks, makes him look better than others.

Do we do this? We may say, “Other people go to church like the Book of Hebrews asks us to do? Well, I go to church, Sunday School, two small groups, choir, mentor young people… I must be OK.”

We may say, “They go to church? Well, when they do, they don’t raise their hands as much as I do.” Or, “”they raise their hands but they don’t takes notes on the sermon like I do.” Or, “they don’t show their love for God by saying Amen like I do so they must be superficial” or “they’re making so much noise that they have no place for real silence and solitude like I do so they must be superficial…” We are as tempted toward this as was the Pharisee! It’s taking a preference and using it as a standard of spiritual maturity.

So the Pharisee felt that he was alright. These two methods of comparison and compensation had completely removed any question he might have had that God might not be pleased with him. Yet, shock of shocks, he was the one who went home condemned. He felt innocent. But he was guilty.

First Questions: Am I seeking God’s approval through external things?

*Through comparing myself to others

*Through compensating with rule-keeping or good deeds

Solution #2: Receiving God’s gift for the inside so he can begin his work toward the outside

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 (18:13).”

We meet a very different man here. This tax collector’s conscience was in torment with feelings of guilt and shame. Notice how it comes out: he stood at a distance. He knew he wasn’t welcomed in polite society. He was ashamed and knew he did not deserve approval by God. And he was right. This man would have been like a Nazi collaborator in the World War 2 era. He kept his people under the yoke of an oppressive government – and became personally rich by doing it. What a rotter he was!

This tax man hardly felt he should be inside the doors of the place of worship at all. He wouldn't look up to heaven, we read. He kept his eyes downcast in shame and embarrassment. And we read that he beat his breast. This was a sign in the ancient world of the deepest remorse.

And look at the confession he made. "God be merciful to me," he says, "a sinner." In fact, the Greek actually says, "The sinner." He's not comparing himself with others. He's not citing his good deeds and others' bad ones. He doesn't think his life has earned God's rewards.

Let me say just a word about guilt-feelings versus guilt-fact; about real guilt versus false guilt. Sometimes, we feel guilty over something we have long since confessed and dealt with. We can even feel a false sense of guilt with accompanying shame for something that happened outside our control. I remember this at my daughter’s death so long ago. “Did I pray enough? Did I care for Chris enough? Why did I make her take that long cross-country trip while she was pregnant?” God has helped me over the years with those questions. I may feel guilt or shame but I know God would not have me own this. He is in control! This is false guilt. But, we also have real guilt – when we have lived lives disobeying God and doing what we know is wrong. This tax collector confessed the cause of real guilt. He knew he had sinned. What we have in his prayer is a heart broken confession of his faults and a genuine plea for pardon and acceptance. And Jesus says he went home right with God and approved by God.

It's a paradox. It's a great reversal to end all reversals. One man contended he was innocent yet was pronounced guilty. The other man acknowledged real sin and yet was pronounced innocent.

And this is where Christian faith has something to offer that psycho‑therapy without Christ cannot offer. Psycho‑therapy may find ways to get rid of guilt feelings. But what Christ here claims to be able to get rid of is not just the feeling of guilt but with the guilt itself. Jesus can wash it away. He can declare us innocent – penalty paid in full. That's why that marvelous word is found in v.14: "the tax man went home justified."

As I said before, that word “justified” is not a word from the arena of psychology. It's a word from the law courts and the family. It wasn’t just a statement on how the tax man could feel better about himself when he went home. We don't know how he felt. What we do know is how he stood before God who is both the moral judge of the universe and the Father of our family. Jesus declared him 1)innocent in the courtroom of God and 2)approved in the family of God. And Jesus would have us to learn from this story that true religion is not about earning our way to God but about the freedom of turning to God in repentance and faith and hearing him say, "I forgive you. I declare you not guilty. I accept you fully." It’s grace. The declaration is not on the basis of what we have done but on our accepting by repentance and faith what He has done.

It's only when that happens, when the guilt itself is wiped away, that we can ever really begin to deal with the guilt feelings. It’s only then that we can rest in the approval of God. We have dealt honestly and truthfully with God about what is on the inside and God has said, “This is why I sent Jesus: to forgive the guilt and to welcome unholy people into my family.”

Remember, both of these men had a problem – the one of being right with God. The reality is that only the one who acknowledged his sin and claimed no rights based on his own efforts was able to find this precious “justification.” The other one missed it. Now, why? They went to the same religious building. They both prayed with great sincerity. Why did one find cleansing and the other one didn't. The answer is found in Jesus' explanation in v.14: I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

This is why our consciousness of our sin is important. This is why remorse for real sin is important. For one reason and one reason alone. Because God has determined that he will not justify the proud. Or the other side of the coin is this ‑‑ the proud will not seek God's pardon. This is why we have these non-stop stories in the Bible about the “good guy” being rejected and the “bad guy” being approved. Those who pretend they are good don't think they need a savior. Only the one who is remorseful for sins will confess them to God, and understand the cross, and seek God's grace, and ask Jesus to save him.

You see it don't you? The issue of justification has nothing to do with whether we come from a Christian or Jewish of pagan home, or how often we've gone to church, or how perfect we've been in the past. No, what God asks of the one who will be forgiven, justified, is a humble confession of sin ‑‑ a humble recognition that you need a savior.

What difference did the humble remorse make in the tax collector? It made two. First, he was willing to admit his need. The Pharisee wasn't. He just thought God would let him in without any repentance. Are you willing to admit your need of a savior?

And second, the honest remorse enabled the man to ask for mercy. It is a bit embarrassing to ask someone to forgive you. It's hard to keep from comparing ourselves with others and saying, "I must be alright." It's hard to think that we, like a little child, must simply depend on God's mercy to be saved. We don't want to do it. And we won't do it‑‑not unless we feel the kind of remorse for guilt that this man did. And remember: Unless we ask for God's mercy, we will not receive it. God is ready to justify all but we must come in humble faith and ask for that greatest of all blessings – in repentance and faith.

Second Question: Have I discovered God’s approval through repentance and faith

All those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

To His Glory,

Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor

Luke 18:14