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Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, "God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
- Luke 18:9-14
In yesterday's reading, Jesus spoke a parable to His disciples, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. This is just after He spoke of the times they will long for His return. He taught them: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.' And he would not for a while, but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'" Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"
Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector." My study bible tells us that "the sharp contrast between the two men is deliberately drawn by Jesus. The Pharisee is highly respected as a zealous observer of God's Law, whereas the tax collector is despised as a public sinner, collaborating with the Romans, cheating the people."
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, "God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'" My study bible points out here that thus the Pharisee was praying with himself, not to God! And we can hear his attitude here in the words. In some sense, he's bragging to himself -- praying to hear his own good image of himself.
"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'" My study bible tells us that "the tax collector's posture and words express his deep humility and contrition, the opposite of the Pharisee's attitude." The tax collector seems to be acutely aware of the presence of God -- so much so, he can't even raise his eyes to heaven. The Pharisee was more or less talking to himself for the benefit of himself, his own self-image. Thus, a very self-centered kind of prayer! But the tax collector stands before God, and the truth is revealed to him in that Presence. It is this truth he's aware of.
"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." My study bible says that justified here means "forgiven and made right with God." It says that "Jesus reverses the expected conclusion. In the eyes of God, it is the tax collector who is justified because of his humility. The Pharisee is condemned because of his self-righteousness and self-exaltation."
Let's think about this story in the context in which it's given. The disciples have just been pre-warned about the times they will long for Jesus' return, after His Resurrection and Ascension. They can't possibly know fully what Jesus is talking about, but before He makes His way to Jerusalem, He is telling them that there will be times when they face injustice in their lives without Him, and long for His return in the flesh. In Wednesday's reading, Jesus answered a question that came from the Pharisees about when the Kingdom would come. He explained that it would not come with observation, that "the Kingdom of heaven is within you." But He told His disciples that they must be aware of its coming, but not listen to those who tell them He's here or there. He then told a parable in yesterday's reading, about the widow who keeps pestering the judge for a just judgment against her adversary. It's a parable that taught them they must not lose heart, but always pray. And that's the message to us in this time, as we await His second coming and the fullness of the Kingdom. The message is that we will suffer injustice, that God knows this, that we must not lose heart but pray always. And now, in today's reading, we get to that prayer. What does our prayer look like? What is the emphasis Jesus is teaching? In the reading regarding His second coming, He taught the disciples that "whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." Today, Jesus is teaching us about a different emphasis on the forgetfulness of self. This time it comes in the particular form of humility that comes as we are aware that we stand before God when we pray, and that prayer is a dialogue. It's not a monologue with ourselves, so it can't be a time when we self-justify or really just show an image to ourselves. That's the stuff of hypocrisy. Above all, prayer is about truth, and it is this type of humility that teaches us really about truth. The Pharisee is only aware of himself, but the tax collector is perfectly aware that he's speaking to God and standing before God -- and this is the type of prayer that Jesus wants from us. So, whatever it is, lay it bare -- but understand that prayer is dialogue and communion. It's not self-talk. We stand before God, and it's this type of humility that really keeps us in the place in which we need to be, where we have truth, and we're willing to say, "Your way, not mine." God may surprise us with where we need to go. That's particularly so if we think we already have all the answers and know the way.
