Humble Hearts: The Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector
Notes
Transcript
The Heart of True Humility
The Heart of True Humility
Bible Passage: Lk 18:9–14
Bible Passage: Lk 18:9–14
Summary: In this parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, Jesus contrasts two approaches to prayer and humility, illustrating the difference between self-righteousness and genuine repentance.
Application: This passage serves as a powerful reminder for teens of the importance of humility and recognizing their own need for God's grace, rather than comparing themselves to others. In a culture often focused on self-promotion, this lesson can guide them in navigating relationships with authenticity and grace.
Teaching: The sermon could teach that true righteousness comes not from our own achievements or social status, but rather from a humble heart that acknowledges unworthiness and seeks God's mercy.
How this passage could point to Christ: This passage reflects the overarching narrative of Scripture that emphasizes God's grace and mercy in the face of human frailty. Jesus, the ultimate source of mercy, calls us to a humble heart, pointing towards His sacrificial love that redeems us despite our sinfulness.
Big Idea: True humility comes from recognizing our need for God's grace, rather than relying on our own self-perceived righteousness.
Recommended Study: I suggest delving into the cultural context of first-century Judaism to understand the significance of the characters in this parable. Look for resources in your Logos library that discuss the social status of Pharisees and tax collectors, as well as commentaries that explore the implications of self-righteousness in a contemporary setting. This could enrich your understanding of how to effectively communicate these truths to a teenage audience.
1. Pharisee's False Pride
1. Pharisee's False Pride
Lk 18:9-11
To engage the audience, perhaps focus on how the Pharisee in Jesus' parable saw himself as righteous by his deeds and status. This could be compared to how teens today might measure their worth by achievements or popularity. Highlight Jesus' disapproval of self-righteousness, suggesting the futility of relying solely on one's own perceived perfection. Perhaps emphasize the need to reject the "comparison trap" and instead approach God with a truth-seeking heart, acknowledging the universal need for His grace, which leads to genuine peace and relationships.
2. Tax Collector's True Surrender
2. Tax Collector's True Surrender
Lk 18:12-13
You could highlight the stark contrast between the Pharisee's self-congratulatory prayer and the tax collector's honest plea for mercy. Encourage students to see vulnerability as a strength. The tax collector's heart posture teaches that humility in prayer opens the door to God's transformative grace. Illustrate how, rather than hiding flaws, admitting them brings us closer to God and strengthens our journey with Him as it reflects our true dependence on Christ's mercy.
3. Justification Through Jesus
3. Justification Through Jesus
Lk 18:14
In this closing verse, consider underscoring Jesus' conclusion that God's kingdom values a humble heart over outward righteousness. Draw parallels to Christ's role as our mediator, whose grace and forgiveness justify us, not our deeds. Emphasize how teens can find reassurance in not having to earn God's love. Encourage them to cultivate humility by embracing their shortcomings and looking to Jesus' example of love and forgiveness — defining true greatness as living dependently on Him.
Illustration: (Object lesson)
Illustration: (Object lesson)
Have a student blow up a ballon while you say, “This balloon represent our pride and self-righteousness. With every boastful statement or prideful thought, we puff ourselves up, and it makes us feel good. Self-righteousness and pride may make us feel impressive, but it can lead to downfall. But, in our parable tonight, Jesus is going to tell us that true righteousness is about humility and relying on God's grace, not our own self-perceived goodness or greatness.
Commentary:
Commentary:
Just like the previous parable, the parable about the two men in the temple hinges on prayer. We are introduced to two characters who occupied the opposite ends of the social spectrum: a Pharisee and a tax collector (18:10). The Pharisees were widely respected for their piety and devotion to the Torah, and this particular man’s religious rigor (as described in verse 12, and we have no reason to doubt his truthfulness) exceeded that which God required of his people in the Law of Moses. Tax collectors in Judea, on the other hand, were widely despised as traitors, thieves, and oppressors of their own people. When these two men ascend the temple mount in order to pray, the basis on which they approach God is as starkly divergent as their social status. The Pharisee thanks God that he is better than other people, especially the tax collector (v 11), and points to his résumé of righteous deeds performed (v 12). The tax collector, however, approaches prayer with a posture of humility: he “stood at a distance,” refused even to look into heaven, and beat his breast while crying out to God to be merciful to a sinner like him (v 13). As many commentators have pointed out, the man’s plea for mercy should be understood as linked to the temple and its system of sacrifices for forgiveness. He is asking for God’s mercy not on the basis of his own goodness (for he has very little), but on God’s commitment to be merciful to sinners through the sacrifices taking place in the temple. This will be particularly significant in light of our consideration of verses 31–34. This parable is meant to answer the implicit question: who is really righteous in God’s sight? Who is truly part of his kingdom? The parable is told to “some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else” (v 9; see 7:39). While we may not feel that this describes our attitude toward God, the assumption of most religious people today is that, on some level, God’s ultimate approval of us is based on our personal obedience and good deeds. If you tell this story to a Muslim or Buddhist friend (without the context of 18:9 and 14), in my experience it is very likely they will assume that the Pharisee is the hero of the story, the one who goes home justified before God. After all, he is doing all the right things! This is why so many religious people are intolerably proud and judgmental; their scheme of justification-by-good-works means that what really counts in this world is how hard you work and how well you perform. Even Christians are not immune to the Pharisee’s mindset. Whenever we create our own extra-biblical rules and judge other Christians who do not follow them, we are acting like a Pharisee. Whenever we feel that God does not love us because we have sinned or failed, we have adopted the Pharisee’s approach. Whenever we are proud of our own goodness, we are acting just like the Pharisee. The tendency to works-righteousness is deeply ingrained in each of us. As a result, it is hard to overstate how shocking and revolutionary Jesus’ conclusion is: the justified one is the sinner who approaches God on the basis of his mercy, rather than the “good” man who approaches God on the basis of his own merit. Jesus is destroying the fundamental principle of pretty much every religion! The pride and self-exaltation that would dare to hold up our own goodness as reason for God’s love will lead to a terrible humbling, but “those who humble themselves will be exalted” (v 14; see Proverbs 3:34 and James 4:6, 10).
Mike McKinley, Luke 12–24 for You, ed. Carl Laferton, God’s Word for You (The Good Book Company, 2017), 96–98.
Audience (18:9) The Lord told this parable to “some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and looked down on everyone else” (v. 9). It’s amazing how often self-righteousness and looking down on others come in a package.
Parable (18:10–13) The parable represents their self-righteousness in a Pharisee whose pride and contempt are exhibited even in prayer to God. He stands by himself. He’s so righteous and holy no one can come next to him even in prayer. He rehearses his spiritual resume and contempt even in prayer (vv. 11–12). He depends on his religious exercises for righteousness before God. He doesn’t think he’s like other sinners. Perhaps he has not committed the particular sins of others, but in fact he is a sinner like other men. He reveals his sin even in his prayer. He stands in God’s presence as if he need not bow even to God. He stands as if his life makes him acceptable before God. He’s spiritually blind. Contrast the Pharisee to the tax collector. Everything about them strikes us as different. Tax collectors were social outcasts in Israel and were seen as those who aided Israel’s oppressors, the Roman government. People viewed them as thieves who extorted regular citizens. However, the tax collector emerges as the hero in this parable. The tax collector stands far off. He does not rush into God’s presence, assuming he has a righteousness all his own. He strikes us as humble. He bows his head in prayer, not even feeling good enough to lift his head toward heaven. He remains aware of his sin, so he prays, “Have mercy on me a sinner.” He offers no defense, no rationalization, and no justification. He simply admits he is a sinner and needs mercy.
Interpretation (18:14) The Lord interprets the parable by simply noting the tax collector “went down to his house justified rather than the other.” The word justified means righteous or in right standing with God. He is not justified by anything he has done; all he could do was confess his sin. He goes home justified because he has confessed and has thrown himself on the mercy of God’s court. That’s the only way any sinner can come to God: casting themselves on God’s mercy through Jesus Christ. The self-righteous Pharisee goes home deceived, believing himself justified, yet unrighteous and unknowing. It is a terrible thing to think you are right before God when you are not. It is a foolish thing to try basing your righteousness with God on the things you do. Our goodness falls far too short. But it is a wonderful thing to be a sinner, head bowed, pleading for mercy, and being rewarded with that mercy through faith in Jesus Christ. The tax collector went to the temple broken and bowed, but he likely left with a light step and glad heart because he had found God’s mercy. There’s a profound and counterintuitive reason the tax collector left justified: “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” The Lord rewarded his humiliation with a gracious exaltation.
Application: We have no case for our own righteousness. All of us are sinners. However well dressed we are on the outside or messed up on the inside, we all need God’s mercy because of our sin. Since we are all sinners, none of us should look down on others because of their sin. If we look down on others, that itself is a sin that God hates. Let us seek mercy and humility as a way of life. We do not give up with our sins still intact, since we have a God who forgives sin. We don’t settle for our brokenness, since we have a God who heals. We don’t quit with our heads hung low; our God lifts our heads and gives light to our eyes. Let us be constant in going to him when we see our sin. The smallest glimpse of our sin may humble us like the tax collector, and we may feel far off. Let us not linger far off. Close the distance with God by going to the Father through the sacrifice of Christ. Let us go confidently because God rewards those who seek him, even sinners needing mercy.
Thabiti Anyabwile, Exalting Jesus in Luke, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2018), 266–268.
Both a Pharisee and a tax collector go to the temple to pray. The Pharisee praises and thanks God for his morality and religious devotion. But the tax collector is ashamed of his sin and asks God to have mercy on him as a sinner. Jesus then comments on the parable in verse 14: the tax collector is justified before God instead of the Pharisee, for the Pharisee has exalted himself but the tax collector has humbled himself before God.
Thomas R. Schreiner, “Luke,” in Matthew–Luke, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, vol. VIII, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 996.
The Pharisees were a popular lay movement in Israel (cf. Luke 5:30; 6:7; 7:30; 11:53; 14:3; 15:2). They taught all Israel to keep the Torah so that the Lord would fulfill his covenant promises for Israel, teaching that all of Israel should be pure and devoted to the Lord. Tax collectors, as we have seen, were notorious in Israel since they collaborated with the Romans and were known for their corruption, for taking excessive money for themselves.
Thomas R. Schreiner, “Luke,” in Matthew–Luke, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, vol. VIII, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 997.
The Pharisee worshiped himself and his achievements, while the tax collector put all his hope in the forgiveness God grants.
Thomas R. Schreiner, “Luke,” in Matthew–Luke, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, vol. VIII, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 998.
Discipleship Groups:
Discipleship Groups:
What were the two characters in the parable, and how did their approaches to prayer differ?
How does the story illustrate the concept of true humility?
In what ways might today's culture promote self-righteousness like the Pharisee?
What steps can we take to resist the trap of comparing ourselves to others?
How can acknowledging our flaws and shortcomings draw us closer to God, as demonstrated by the tax collector?
What steps can you take to cultivate a humble heart in your daily life?
What is the 'big idea' of the sermon regarding humility and God's grace?
Why is it important to recognize our need for God's mercy rather than relying on our own achievements?
How can understanding our own sinfulness help us to treat others with more grace and compassion?