A Journey to Easter - Day 37
- Debbra Stephens
- Apr 10
- 2 min read
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
(Luke 18:9-14 NIV)
Does a prayer have to be seen to be noticed? Or be loud to be heard?
Both questions have the same answer. But greater matters of prayer have been addressed by Jesus in true parabolic form. Luke 18:9-14 has Jesus contrasting a Pharisee with a tax collector, yet again. These two pray-ers have two very different positions—most honored and most despicable—as well as two very different postures.
Jesus primarily addresses two dangerous attitudes (Luke 18:9):
Trusting in one’s own righteousness
Treating others with contempt
It wasn’t as much a posture of the first pray-er’s hands as it was the posture of his head . . . and heart. His prayer contained three dangerous “I” s (Luke 18:12), elevating himself with what he’s not and what he does. While it might stroke his ego to compare his righteousness to others, isn’t God’s standard the true measure? But to be honest, I’ve done it. The more guilty I’ve felt before God, the more I try to divert attention from my sin to that of others.
But the first gospel truth is that not one has any righteousness of their own. Righteousness belongs to Christ Jesus alone. And any I possess came solely from Him as unmerited gift. That truth levels the playing field, as it were. A sinner is a sinner.
Then Jesus exalts the humble by presenting the contrasting pray-er, a sinner (Luke 18:13). Not just any sinner, but the kingdom ideal. The sinner who fully realizes their unworthiness. As well as their desperate need for God’s mercy.
Who wants to admit they’re a beggar? But aren’t we all? Doesn’t begging for mercy rightly exalt Jesus? And rightly correct my posture before Him? In its truest form, it has the power to remove tendencies toward entitlement and comparison. And present before the Exalted One an authentic self.
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