Who Jesus Talked To

Luke 18:9-14--
So Jesus started talking again. He's about to give what we call the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. It's a well known parable. Pulling it apart is interesting. This one doesn't appear to be a parable to the crowds. This time Luke tells us that Jesus told it:

to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt.

So number one is that this is to a specific kind of person. Self-sufficient, able to take care of all their own needs and certainly able to look down on others who aren't like them. We know all that because here are the words Jesus puts into the mouth of the self-righteous one:

‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’

Seems like the good guy at most of our local churches. Sounds like me more often than I care to admit. But the point is that this does sound so much like what we promote as good Christian behavior. Even we who push for a strong awareness of "salvation by faith" and against "works righteousness" fall into the trap. It's because it's human. It's because we often feel superior because of what we do and how we do it.

But then there's the tax collector. Jesus kept it simple:

‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

Can't get more basic than that. But let's be clear, he is not just mouthing some liturgically-correct words. He is aware of his heart. That's Jesus point. He is the one who understands grace. When you realize it's not about you and what you do, your life will never be the same. The results are up to God. As Jesus concluded:

All who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.