A couple weeks ago I spoke about heroes and villains and how we often make villains out of good people. Like the Pharisees who are often portrayed as the evil doers in the New Testament when in fact they were the ones who policed bad behaviour. Hence their criticism of Jesus in that he ate with sinners. Today we have another such situation in the Parable that Jesus told of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. The upshot of it is that we make the Pharisee out to be bad and the Tax Collector good. When in fact their opinion of themselves is the opposite of that:
A pharisee and a tax collector went to the Temple to pray. The Pharisee proceeded to thank God that he was unlike other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, and sinners like the disgraceful tax collector over there. He went on to praise himself for fasting twice a week and giving his tithes – all good things – all things that were commanded by God in the Old Testament law of Moses. The tax collector, on the other hand, bowed his head, beat his breast, and prayed: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Jesus said, between the Pharisee and the tax collector, it was the tax collector that was made right with God.
Notice the difference. The tax collector was MADE right with God. Jesus didn’t say the tax collector was a good man but was made right with God. And so we begin to understand that being right before God is not about good or bad behaviour but being MADE right by God.
So often people feel inadequate in their relationship with God. I’m not good enough. I’m not really a good Christian. In fact we might be rather embarrassed if people knew what we were really like. If people could see behind our pretend exterior would they see that everything is fine. We don’t like to let people know the “real me” because it makes me vulnerable. So we become like the Pharisee and point out other people’s faults in order to hide ours. Thank you Lord that I’m not like other people. I come to church every Sunday. I signed up to REG so just in case I can’t make it one Sunday I’ll still give my offering and I’ll watch the service online. I’m serving on that committee that I was asked to join. And thank you that I’m not like other people especially that guy over there – just look at him.
It really doesn’t make sense. Aren’t we drilled with the view – God’s hates sinners – God loves people who do good. Aren’t we drilled with the view – good people go to heaven – bad people go to hell. How can Jesus say that this person who did everything right – went home not right with God.
The Pharisees were extremely religious leaders. They represent the best of the Jews: morally upright, knowing the Law, observing the rituals and everything their religion requires, and teaching the Law so that everyone could be as righteous as they are.
The tax collector was the lowest human being in the eyes of many; they were not only dishonest and greedy extortioners but worse, they were considered to be traitors for working for the Jewish enemy, the Romans. Collecting taxes from their fellow Jews and giving it to the enemy Romans (plus a little for themselves
Everything seems topsy turvy – calling bad good and good bad. But Jesus is not praising bad behaviour – nor is he condemning good behaviour. It was about their relationship with God. A relationship with God that is not made by US, but by God. The Pharisee was praising himself to God. Really? A human being telling God how good he was. Has he forgotten just who God is.
He needs to go back and read Psalm 8 – When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
Or Psalm 51 – Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. On the other hand, the tax collector was not trying to justify himself to God but simply recognizing his unworthiness before the almighty God. He couldn’t even muster the dignity of looking up to God. But again, God doesn’t want to crush our spirits but to give us hope.
Do you see yourself unworthy of God’s love? Do you see yourself as never measuring up to God’s expectations? Do you see yourself constant fall short and even embarrassed about your Christian life before God or your fellow Christians? Do you sometimes compare yourself to other Christians and feel inadequate? Then you have given God something to work with as we remember it was while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us. As St Paul says in Galatians – if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.
That’s not a license to sin but a recognition of how we can be assured of God’s favour with us as Paul says – God made him who had no sin to become our sin so that we could become the righteousness of God – BECOME the righteousness of God – not achieve the righteousness of God.
Paul knew all about struggling with is relationship with God even though he knew he was saved – I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
Does that sound familiar?
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! If you’re anything like me you feel an alliance with both the tax collector and the pharisee. The danger is that when we feel like the tax collector – unworthy of even looking up to heaven – the danger is that we start to become like the Pharisee to comfort ourselves. I come to church – I give regularly to the church and other charities – I do my best to live a Christian life. But that’s we making ourselves right before God when it is Christ who has made us right before God. And this is the difference between what we call a justified life and a sanctified life. We are justified by grace to live a sanctified life. In other words – God has saved us so we have no doubts about going to heaven which means we are freed to live a life that loves our neighbour.
So if you ever have any doubts about your salvation – come to Jesus Christ and receive his grace. Remember you are a Baptised child of God who has had your sins washed away. Remember that Jesus Body and Blood cleanses you from all unrighteousness. There is nothing you can do to make yourself right before God because it is God who has made you right through Jesus Christ our Lord.
