Parables Of Jesus Christ

The parable of the pharisee and tax collector.

The parable of the pharisee and tax collector. Luke 18:10-14 "Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer.'I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don't cheat, I don't sin, and I don't commit adultery. I'm certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.'
"But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, 'O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.' I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."
I was guided to this one last night by the holy spirit. It should of been my first parable study taking in my previous occupation yep a tax collector and of course my sinner nature(which i still am...but a forgiven sinner).
The more i study the pharisee i am really pulled to describe what they were like.
Pharisees There were two main groups of Jews at the time of Jesus. They were called the Pharisees and the Sadducees . The Pharisees said that they believed the whole Old Testament . They tried to obey all God's laws. But often they pretended to be holier than they really were. They obeyed many unimportant rules. But often they failed to obey God's most important rules. And they refused to listen to Jesus. They cared more about their religion than about God. Not all Pharisees behaved in this way. Their leaders opposed Jesus. But many other Pharisees believed Jesus. They realised that God sent Jesus. So they trusted jesus. (Taken from easy english bible).
In my head i think of the pharisees as pompous, big headed , arogant fools. Dressed in a pompous way with their fancy words and prayers. Thinking they are better than everyone even the lord himself. Knowlegeable yes they did know there toran but no wisdom. They were blind and living in there own darkness. They were ruler makers. The common man looked up to them maybe a bit frightened. I know i would be. Jesus told many parables to the pharisees but they didn't like hearing these parables. They wanted to continue believing that the way they did things was the right way. They wanted to believe that they were better than other people because they made and enforced so many rules. They wanted to believe that they were part of an exclusive club, a club that sinners could never be a part of. I can imagine the shock in their faces when jesus told this parable. They knew the message but they wouldnt accept it. Now for what i believe the message to be. Firstly we need recognize our need and depend on the mercy of God to enter God's kingdom.The Parable of the Pharisee And the Tax Collector doesn't focus on what people say when they pray, but on what they think. Jesus wanted the Pharisees and i beleive us too, to realise that the things we say when we pray are not as important as the condition of our hearts. Jesus was telling us beautifully worded prayers mean nothing if the heart behind them contains self-righteousness but no real faith or humility. There is nothing wrong with rules , but the must be kept in perspective, something the Pharisees did not seem able to do. When our adherence to rules makes us confident in our own righteousness or causes us to trust in rule keeping to justify us before God, we are committing a fatal error. The Pharisee in this parable had descended into haughtiness and self-righteousness. The Pharisees thought that the way to enter God's kingdom was by keeping a lot of rules. Not only the rules that God gave Moses in the Old Testament, but also alot of added rules. Man made rules. The Pharisee was full of love and respect ......for himself !!. But he didn't seem to have any love and respect for God and others. But the tax collector was quite different. He knew he was a sinner, and he was sincere in his desire to repent. He is hungry for forgiveness, and as he knows he is a sinner, all he can offer god is faith and eagerness to repent. The Pharisees thinks that the kingdom of God would never be home to the tax collector or anyone else who didn't appear good or clean on the outside. The tax collector agreed that his sin was a problem. But unlike the Pharisee, he believed that the only way to overcome that sin problem was through God's mercy, not through human effort. Of course still hope for the Pharisee in the parable jesus clarifies this in Luke 18:26-27 Those who heard this said, "Then who in the world can be saved?" He replied, "What is impossible for people is possible with God." one of the most self-righteous, rule-crazy Pharisees of all was saved by God's mercy and went on to become the Apostle Paul, who wrote most of the new testament and traveled the world sharing the good news of Jesus, who saves us from our sins. 1timothy 1:15 15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"-and I am the worst of them all.
So the point of to us. Is dont be a pharisees but a tax collector with honesty and open heart .