Luke 18:9-14 Sermon

There are 39 parables in the synoptic Gospels, comprising approximately 1/3 of the teachings of Jesus. The parable in Luke 18:9-14 follows a familiar pattern of contrasting opposites creatively to make a profound spiritual point. In this parable, Jesus contrasts a righteous pharisee with a despised tax collector—his teaching surprised many and is instructive for the church today.

The story centers on two men who entered the Temple. Both were on a quest to draw close to God and return home justified. Only one man was aware of his spiritual state and prayed to be in right standing before God. In the parable, the Lord noted the proud Pharisee stood (not a posture of humility) and prayed—not thanking God for anything He had done, but rather, thanking God that his actions were not even like this tax collector. Thus, the Pharisee’s prayer did not better his walk with God.

The repentant tax collector thanked God for the promises of mercy in His Word. The Lord Jesus emphasized how the tax collector beats his breast (an expression of remorse) while pleading for God to be merciful. Though a sinner, his expressions of faith were well-received, resulting in an outpouring of God’s grace.

The parable illustrates the need to study and understand God’s Word and how to live a life that pleases the Lord.

Why Did Jesus Christ Tell This Parable?

Interestingly, Jesus told this parable to help three distinct groups to help them better understand God’s grace and desire for His people. The three target groups and a notion of the primary spiritual precepts the Lord Jesus Christ wanted each group to hear follow:  

• The Pharisees: First-century Pharisees were a leading religious body in Judea known for their pride and arrogance. Contemptuous of those outside their group, they feigned spiritual zeal and imposed burdensome orders, which were a measure to control the masses. Pharisees would typically not interact with those deemed sinners and would approach God feeling superior to the common man. Desirous of attention, they often went to the Temple to pray, insisted the masses pay due homage to religious leaders, and were often quick to hold others in contempt. They were overly confident in their own goodness and were not on a quest to find God—their quest was for recognition and power. To the pious Pharisees, Jesus shared the parable to help them understand that God was more concerned with the condition of the human heart than was impressed by one’s station or eloquent prayers. Here Jesus encourages personal reformation—a surrender of pride and a realignment of thinking to define righteousness as God defines righteousness.
• The Disciples: Jesus told this parable to the disciples to help them better understand how to approach God, to reaffirm how the Lord sees all and is aware of our spiritual state, to illustrate righteous behavior, and to note who God justifies. Jesus surprised his listeners by presenting the Pharisee as a self-righteous hypocrite and the typically despised tax collector, who by tradition was not allowed in the temple, as a good person who returned to his house justified. For the disciples, the story emphasized how true sorrow and humbly seeking the Lord trumps high-profile good deeds such as fasting twice a week and one’s own accomplishments—even if notable. In this parable, Jesus emphasizes how God appreciates humble, child-like faith and the contrite sinner who believes God’s grace is greater than his sin.   Further, Jesus Christ shared this parable to illustrate that pleasing God, finding God, and being in right standing with God is not about being outwardly or overtly pious, but by worshipping God in truth and love, believing in the promises in His Word, and adherence, as best as possible, to God’s holy law. Redemption for transgressing the law is possible and illustrated by Jesus saying that those even like this tax collector can leave and return home justified, not by their own goodness or their own righteousness, but by God’s mercy and the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ. Paul noted:  “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:12)
• To Believers who struggle with pride and ‘works.’ Many today are like the Pharisees, believing they are justified before God via their ‘works’ or deeds. God’s Word speaks against this—the book of Galatians (and to some extent, Romans) clarifies it is our heart, our faith, and most importantly, what God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, has done that justifies and puts us in right standing before God. Scripture notes that God “despises the proud” but “lifts the humble.” Self-righteous people may know how to pray eloquently and appear righteous, but God is aware of our motives and judges the condition of our hearts. When we live and approach God in humility and recognize that Jesus is our only hope for salvation, we will be judged a good person and be counted among the righteous.

Two Different Men

In the parable, the two prayers offered by the men—the Pharisee and tax collector—reflected their faith. The tax collector knew he had transgressed the Old Testament Law and prayed for God’s grace and forgiveness. The tax collector respected God’s holy law and expressed true sorrow for his sins.

He does not look up or mention any good things he has done to justify or offset his sins. He prays that God would be merciful and by faith, believes that justification would not come by his own actions but by God’s grace. He wisely approached God as a sinner and humbly asked for mercy.

In sharp contrast, the Pharisee was not aware his own actions were displeasing to God. His pride, self-righteousness, contempt for others, and failure to be a religious leader who teaches and exemplifies God’s grace made him ill-positioned to receive God’s commendation.  Perhaps most grievous is that many common practices of first-century Pharisees prohibited tax collectors and the lame from having access to the temple and, symbolically, access to God. ‘Sinners” were held in contempt while self-righteous Pharisees touted their own accomplishes and divided humanity into the righteous (the few who were like them) and the unworthy sinners. The Pharisee approached God in pride, as one who was better than most, and focused on his goodness and how he deserved God’s blessing.

The Roles Tax Collectors Vs Pharisees

Tax collectors were vilified in Jesus’ day; the phrase tax collector became synonymous with the worst of sinners. Tax collectors in Judea were typically Jews who aligned themselves with the occupying Roman government in exchange for favor and lucrative work. Tax collectors were not allowed to enter the temple to pray—religious leaders referred to them as unloved, unworthy, and unredeemable. Jesus told the parable to set the record straight.

The Pharisees rested in their perception of their righteousness—confident that their study of the Testament Law, ability to quote Scripture, and many good works would merit God’s favor. The Pharisees interpreted and added to the Law in a way that, in their minds, assured their justification and entrance to heaven. Jesus referred to them as “blind guides” and challenged them to approach God in humbleness, to recognize their own sin, and to set aside self-righteousness. The apostle Paul would later say, “By grace are we saved, by faith, and not of our works, lest any man could boast” (Ephesians 2:8).

Surprisingly, the parable notes how outcasts—the "adulterers or even like the tax-gatherers" can be forgiven and live a life of honor if they approach God, realizing that righteousness is found in God. Our salvation and justification is not earned via our good deeds—it is an expression of God’s grace.

Two Different Prayers

Jesus noted that two prayers were prayed in the Temple. The tax collector prayed for God’s grace and forgiveness. His prayer is simple but passionate—He thanked God and asked God to be merciful. The imagery of the man stooped in shame, beating his breast, and pushing through lines of tradition to enter the temple to approach God speaks to the condition of his heart and desire to live a life pleasing to the Lord. Like Abel’s offering in Genesis 4, the tax collector's prayer pleased the Lord.

The pharisee prayed in a way that indicated a lack of spiritual awareness. His posture indicates pride and that he held others with contempt. His prayer reflected self-righteous thinking, a lack of awareness of his own sin, and a wrongful assumption that good deeds (and being a descendant of Abraham) guaranteed acceptance by God. His prayer centered on his merit, his assessment that he was better than the tax collector, and a notable absence of thanking God for His blessings.

Jesus declared that God accepted the tax collector’s prayer for mercy and grace, and that he returned to his home justified. God rejected the Pharisee’s prayer as it was judged empty and self-serving. In this parable, earnestness trumped eloquence, and a contrite heart trumped the ability to commend themselves.

Humble vs Self Righteous Behavior

Jesus compared and contrasted several behaviors in the parable—the overarching theme is pride (self-righteous behavior) vs. humility. From a spiritual point of view, the Pharisee should have been far ahead of the tax collector on the road of righteousness. He had unsurpassed training and exposure to God’s Word, spent much time in the Temple, was considered an expert in Old Testament law, and knew that Satan’s fall from heaven was prompted by pride. In short, he knew better. He knew the prophet Micah wrote of how God loves mercy. He knew that as a religious leader and shepherd, he was to love and teach sinners, not hold others in contempt. He knew that Joshua, the high priest (an Old Testament figure representing the best of the best of humanity), was not considered righteous because of his good deeds. Yet, these profound truths did not seem to impact his life.

Surprisingly to many, it is the despised tax collector and not the Pharisee who the Lord commends. Though a sinner, he received God’s forgiveness and blessing because he was humble. He acknowledged and confessed his sin. He approached God in humility. He noted he knew that God was aware of his deeds and pledged to live a better life in the future. He recognized that his own goodness is as filthy rags and that his only hope was to seek God and plead for His grace. Ultimately, his heart and approach (more than good deeds and a lofty title) led to receiving God's blessing.

The Parable Explained

Jesus told this parable to illustrate that being a good person was not good enough—being good and doing good works is important but insufficient for justification or righteousness. All must recognize that our good works can not save—only yielding to God, committing to live for God, and confessing our sins against God can open the door to salvation. When we pray as the tax collector in Luke 18 did, we set aside pride and position ourselves to receive God’s blessing.

The parable also notes how God is always just one prayer away. The Pharisee was rebuked in this parable but not cut off. Jesus shared the parable hoping the listening Pharisees would recognize their errors and repent. And the parable wonderfully notes that even dreaded tax collectors were loved and invited to confess, repent, and be restored in right standing before God.

The parable presents the extremes of a Pharisee and a tax collector to make the story memorable, to emphasize that no one is without the need of God’s grace, and to convey that anyone with the right heart can receive God’s grace.

Contrasting Our Own Righteousness Against God's Mercy

Many today consider themselves spiritual. They strive to be a good person by doing good deeds and consider themselves good because they compare themselves to the chief sinners of this world. Comments such as “I am better than Hitler”  or  “I am good because I do not perpetrate violence or steal” lead to self-righteous thinking and miss the need to seek God for forgiveness, grace, and salvation.

God is merciful and commends our efforts to adhere to His holy law. However, our works are in vain if not overridden by a sincere acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives. When we believe and receive, we receive God’s forgiveness, mercy, and grace and are helped to live the life God calls us to live.

Some can give millions. Some can help tens of thousands. Some can preach and teach to the masses. But no deed, save accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, can save. We find God by entering into a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the path to receiving God’s mercy and grace.

Christ Jesus As The Bridge To God's Mercy

Romans 3:23 notes that “all have sinned,” and Romans 6:23 notes that “the punishment for sin is death.” Humanity desires justification and, in different ways, strives for righteousness. But the divide between a holy God and a sinful humanity is too great for any human to traverse. Therefore, God sent Jesus to be a “Light” and a “bridge” that leads to heaven and being in right standing before God.

Jesus lived a sinless life and became the final and perfect sacrifice on Calvary about 2000 years ago. The Jesus story illustrates that God is good and faithful. Because Jesus shed His blood on Calvary and rose again on the third day, we, like the unlikely tax collector, can find justification and redemption. However, if we, like the Pharisee in the parable, do not recognize our spiritual needs and rest in self-righteousness, we will not receive the blessing God desires to give.

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