The best stories often have an unexpected twist. That is certainly the case in Jesus’ story about the Pharisee and the tax-collector (Luke 18:9-14).
Pharisees were the religious leaders and they were considered the best people in town. They knew God’s law and followed it meticulously. Tax collectors, on the other hand, were among the most hated people. They often collected more money than they should and they were considered traitors because they worked for the Roman government.
To Jesus’ original audience, it would have been obvious that the Pharisee was the good guy and the tax collector was the bad guy.
The Pharisee went to the temple and prayed, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and I give a tenth of all I get” (verse 12). He is a good guy!
The tax collector was so bad that he could not even look to heaven and so he prayed, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (verse 13).
Then Jesus dropped the bombshell: “I tell you that this man (the evil tax collector), rather than the other (the righteous Pharisee), went home justified (made right/blessed) before God” (verse 14). What?
The Pharisee’s problem was that he was good and he knew it! In fact, he trusted in his own goodness. The tax collector knew that that his only hope was to trust in the grace of God and because of that, he was blessed.
Sometimes Christians act as if they do not need God’s grace any more. They treat grace like the starter in a car. It gets thing going, but then the engine runs by itself. However, grace is not the thing that gets you going so that you can be good on your own. Grace is actually the engine! Grace is the thing that keeps you going in God’s kingdom because your own goodness is not good enough.
We never outgrow our need for grace.
Fortunately, God’s grace is never-ending.
Pharisees were the religious leaders and they were considered the best people in town. They knew God’s law and followed it meticulously. Tax collectors, on the other hand, were among the most hated people. They often collected more money than they should and they were considered traitors because they worked for the Roman government.
To Jesus’ original audience, it would have been obvious that the Pharisee was the good guy and the tax collector was the bad guy.
The Pharisee went to the temple and prayed, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and I give a tenth of all I get” (verse 12). He is a good guy!
The tax collector was so bad that he could not even look to heaven and so he prayed, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (verse 13).
Then Jesus dropped the bombshell: “I tell you that this man (the evil tax collector), rather than the other (the righteous Pharisee), went home justified (made right/blessed) before God” (verse 14). What?
The Pharisee’s problem was that he was good and he knew it! In fact, he trusted in his own goodness. The tax collector knew that that his only hope was to trust in the grace of God and because of that, he was blessed.
Sometimes Christians act as if they do not need God’s grace any more. They treat grace like the starter in a car. It gets thing going, but then the engine runs by itself. However, grace is not the thing that gets you going so that you can be good on your own. Grace is actually the engine! Grace is the thing that keeps you going in God’s kingdom because your own goodness is not good enough.
We never outgrow our need for grace.
Fortunately, God’s grace is never-ending.
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