The Parable of the Self-Righteous
This teaching was designed to bring repentance to the self-righteous, those who
trusted in themselves and in their observance of rites and rituals. Notice that
they were not only self-righteous but they despised others that they thought were
not as good as they. Notice their problem:
- They were pleased with themselves and had a high opinion of their
own righteousness. They were so satisfied with their performance
of religion that they thought God was indebted to them.
- They were so conceited that they thought all others were inferior to
them.
In these verses, Jesus gives us a comparison of a self-righteous man and a humble
man. In the parable the self-righteous man is symbolized by the Pharisee and the
humble by the publican. Publicans were Jewish collectors of taxes and tolls. They
were not the official collectors of Roman taxes, they were scavengers whom Rome
allowed to extract from the people, money, any way they could, in return they gave
Rome a portion of what they collected. Some set up tollbooths along the highway,
others dreamed up taxes to charge the unknowing stranger passing thru the land.
They were despised by Jew and Gentile alike.
Here a Pharisee and a publican went up into the Temple to pray. It was not the
hour for prayer, but they went anyway for personal devotions. The Temple
represented not only the place to pray but also the presence of God.
The Pharisee went to the Temple to pray because it was a public place and
therefore, he would have many eyes upon him. They would applaud his devotion to
prayer. Jesus said of the Pharisees that all that they did, they did for the
phrase of men.
The publican went to the Temple to pray because it was the "house of prayer" for
all people. He had business with the Lord, he had requests to make. He was not
concerned with what people thought of him, one way or another.
Notice how the Pharisee prayed. He stood by himself so as not to be lost in the
crowd but rather so he might be seen of men, seeking his own glory and not to glory
God. There, probably in a loud voice, he extolled his righteousness. He was free
from scandalous sins, He did not extort money from anyone, he did not lend money at
exorbitant rate, was not oppressive to his debtors or tenants, He was not unjust in
any of his dealings. He had wronged no man. He was not an adulterer. He fasted
twice every week. He gave tithes of all that he had. Certainly, all of this was
very commendable. Poor, indeed, are those who come short of the righteousness of
the Pharisee. Yet, in the eyes of God, he was not accepted. Why?
- He believed that he had done all of this in his own strength.
He did not as Paul did, and proclaim that it was by the grace
of God that he was able to do as he did.
- His prayer was a time of boasting, a time to tell God how good
he was, a time to ask the Lord as the hypocrites did in Isa.
58:3, "Are you seeing all that I am doing Lord?"
- He left no doubt that he trusted in his own righteousness. He
not only pleaded it but also bragged about it.
- He spent the whole time telling the Lord how good he was and
neglected to thank the Lord for his mercy and gave no indication
that he was in need of God's Grace.
- He had a much to good opinion of himself. "I thank you Lord that
I am not as other men are." Surly we do need to thank God for
this for many times, but for the Grace of God, we would be as
other men, lost, starving, without hope and friendless, but he
only thought of what he conceived to be his own righteousness.
- He condemned the publican because of his occupation, which he
assumed meant that he was extorting money unjustly from people,
and because he probably was a Gentile whom he had left outside
in the Court of the Gentiles, therefore certainly not of the
quality of the Jews, surly this publican was presuming on God's
goodness to even come into the Temple let alone presume that God
would hear his prayer.
Notice how the publican prayed. He was full of humility, repentance for sin, and
desire to know God. His humility and repentance was notable by his dress and
position that he assumed to pray, "He stood afar off." Away from the crowd, away
from any pretence of being worthy to draw near to God. Notice:
- "He would not so much as to life up his eyes to heaven." To have
done that would have would have appeared that he had claimed for
himself some worthiness to be there which he did not claim to
have. He could not life up his eyes in holy confidence and
courage.
- "He smote upon his breast." Out of the wicked heart comes the
streams of sin. The wicked heart is the first to rebuke the
sinner.
- His prayer was short. Fear and shame hindered him from saying
much, but what he, though, was to the point. "God, be merciful
to me, a sinner." It is a blessing for us that we have the answer
to this prayer on record. We are sure that he who prayed it, went
to his house justified and so shall we if we pray it. Note:
- He acknowledges himself to be a sinner and guilty before God.
- He had nothing else to depend on but God's mercy.
The Pharisee depended upon his works, but the
publican knew he was guilty before God and nothing
could save him but God's mercy.
- He repents and begs God's forgiveness. He asks to be
reconciled. He came as a beggar, asking for alms, confessing
his sins and asking for mercy.
Notice how God responded to the publican:
- Jesus assures us that the publican went to his house justified.
The proud Pharisee went away rejected, but the publican found
what he sought, God's mercy.
- The publican, upon his humble admission of sin, obtained God's
forgiveness. The one whom the Pharisee thought unworthy,
became one of the Children of God. God's Grace will resist
the proud and welcome the humble.
- He that exalts himself shall be humbled and he that humbles
himself shall be exalted. We do not doubt that the publican
had been a great sinner but out of that greatness of sin came
the greatness of repentance. The Pharisee, on the other hand,
was not a great sinner but the Devil made him proud of this,
to his ruin.
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