“He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:” – Luke 18:9
Jesus has very low regard for people who think highly of themselves! He tells the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector to contrast two people whom His culture put at opposite ends of the spectrum of holiness. Pharisees were widely viewed as the best, most religious, and most genuinely holy people of the day. It was assumed that if anyone could be righteous, they were. Tax collectors, on the other hand, were viewed as thieves, swindlers, and collaborators with Israel’s enemies.
Jesus turns these stereotypes on their head to make a powerful point about how we view ourselves. Because the tax collector knew he was a sinner in desperate need of God’s forgiveness, Jesus commends Him as truly forgiven by God. On the other hand, because the Pharisee could only tell God how good he already was, there was nothing God could do to help him spiritually.
As followers of Jesus, our faith always begins with the humble recognition that we can’t save ourselves but need a Savior. We happily embrace the truth that we aren’t saved by our good works but by God’s grace alone. However, it’s very easy, as we mature in our faith and the sins of our past start to fade in our memory, to become like the Pharisee. It’s easy to become proud of the time we spend each day in prayer and Bible study and our faithfulness in attending church. We easily become too pleased with our contributions of time and treasure to God’s Kingdom. Gradually, we can begin to forget our desperate need for a Savior because we think we’ve got it all figured out.
Regularly do a heart check to make sure your heart remains tender and humble, like the tax collector’s. Don’t let contempt work its way into your heart. Make sure you aren’t treating “sinners” with disdain or loathing merely because you’ve been saved by Jesus. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re a better sort of person than anyone else. Don’t forget that it’s only by God’s grace and power that the spiritual growth and transformation you’ve been blessed by has taken place. Don’t let self-righteousness replace the blood-bought righteousness that’s truly yours in Jesus Christ. #FollowJesus