Christian Art | Parable Of The Pharisee And The Tax Collector
Luke 18: 9-14 | Week 3 Saturday Lent | Audio Bible KJV
9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
This is among the most perfect of the parables to listen to during Lent – indeed, it has resonances that must extent to each and every time we receive the Eucharist. We are simply not worthy. And God’s mercy extends to us nonetheless.
The prayer of the Pharisee is false. It is not true prayer. We see him, standing there in the presence of God and congratulating himself, as if he does not need God for his redemption, as if he can redeem himself.
‘I do this, I do that, I do the other…’ As if he has bought his place in heaven though observance of the Law – the letter and not the spirit thereof.
The Pharisee shows his lack of love and humility before God, and too before his fellow human beings.
It is not so strange that people of Bible times, before and without the acceptance of Jesus’ teaching, would have considered the Pharisee the more justified before God. He is, perhaps, living his life as well as anyone could according to the Old Law alone. He is probably a ‘good man’, living as best as he knows how. This is one reason why Jesus’ message is so radical, and so dangerous: because this, justification by good works, is not enough; it is the publican who empties himself before God, and who gives himself utterly as a helpless sinner, begging mercy, who is justified. We may imagine that, in the light of the squabbles among the Jews and the dangerously disintegrating effects of sectarianism, Jesus is seeking to shock his listeners into a new and universal awareness of every man’s true, and only true, relationship with God, and so with himself and with his fellow man.
The parable reminds us of our own proper and true frame of mind as we approach Jesus. The publican, the tax collector, cannot see himself as able to approach God closely and remains afar off. For all his sins, he has humility. He cannot lift up his eyes to heaven. He knows that he is a sinner. He only offers God sincere repentance.
We remember this man when we are called to behold the Lamb of God.
Jesus teaches this parable to help us to have confidence to repent, to confess our sins, and to recognise that it is honesty about ourselves, and our relationship with God, that God most values. We are not here to show off to God; we are here to ask him for everything that we cannot do for ourselves, and to admit that, on our own, we cannot do so.
‘Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.’
Audio Bible KJV | Endnotes
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector is one of many parables told by Jesus to illustrate the importance of humility and the danger of self-righteousness.
In the parable, Jesus contrasts the attitudes of two men who went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, a member of a religious sect known for their strict adherence to the law and their sense of superiority over others. The other was a tax collector – in the KJV a ‘publican’ – a hated figure among the Jewish people because of their collaboration with the Roman occupiers.
The Pharisee prayed with great self-assurance, thanking God that he was not like other men, nor like the tax collector. He also listed his good deeds, such as fasting and giving tithes, as evidence of his righteousness. On the other hand, the tax collector, recognizing his sin and unworthiness, simply prayed: ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’
The parable teaches an important lesson for Christians, who are called to humility and self-awareness of their own sin, rather than boasting about our righteousness. As Jesus taught in his Sermon on the Mount: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matthew 5:3)
In the Christian tradition, the parable of The Pharisee and The Tax Collector is often associated with the larger theme of the Crucifixion of Jesus – the Christian Cross as sign of the redemption of humanity from sin. Through his death and Resurrection, Jesus brings salvation to the penitent – he who prays: ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’ Through such modesty, through becoming small, becoming as a child, we may receive the unmerited gift of eternal life in heaven, rather than condemnation to hell.
Baptism, Christian prayer, the celebration of the Passion of the Christ in Christian worship, recall us to the Cross, as to the glorified Christ the Redeemer. We are asked to pray with Jesus as it were in the Garden of Gethsemane. As Jesus taught in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, we are asked to humble ourselves and so be welcomed home.
Christian Art | Parousia | Second Coming | Lamb Of God, You Take Away The Sins Of The World Luke 17: 26-37 (Audio Bible KJV, Spoken Word) Early Christian thought about the Parousia – the second coming – was largely influenced by the teachings of Jesus and the writings of Saint Paul. In the early Christian community, expectation of Christ’s return was strong, and many Christians believed that it would happen in their lifetime. This belief is evident in the New Testament, where the authors express a sense of urgency in their writings and encourage their readers to be prepared for Christ’s imminent return. As Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, the idea of the Parousia became more complex and nuanced. Theological debates arose around the nature of Christ’s return and the events that would precede it. Some theologians, such as Origen and Augustine, saw the Parousia as a spiritual event that was already happening in the Church. Others, such as the Montanists and the millenarians, believed in a literal, physical return of Christ and the establishment of a new, earthly Kingdom. In the Middle Ages, the Parousia was often associated with apocalypticism and the idea of a final, cataclysmic battle between good and evil – the last battle. The idea of the Antichrist, who would precede Christ’s return, became a popular theme in Christian literature, and the book of Revelation (Apocalypse – meaning to reveal, to uncover) was interpreted as a prophetic guide to the end of the world. Biblical Basis For The Parousia | The Second Coming The concept of the Parousia, or the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, is central to Christian eschatology and is supported by numerous biblical passages in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, there are numerous passages that refer to the coming of a Messiah who will restore Israel and bring about the final judgment. For example, in Daniel 7:13-14, it is written: ‘I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.’ This passage describes a divine figure who comes in the clouds and is given dominion over all nations. In the New Testament, the Parousia is described in greater detail, particularly in the teachings of Jesus and the writings of Saint Paul. Jesus speaks of his return in many passages, including Matthew 24:30-31, where Jesus says: ‘And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.’ Here, Jesus describes his return in power and glory, accompanied by angels who gather Jesus’ elect from all over the world. In Saint Paul’s letters, the Parousia is also described in detail. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Saint Paul writes: ‘For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.’ This passage describes a resurrection of the dead and the gathering of believers to meet the Lord Jesus in the air. The language and imagery used to describe the Parousia are often dramatic and apocalyptic in nature. The Parousia is often described as a time of judgment, when the righteous will be separated from the wicked, and God’s justice will be fully revealed. The imagery of clouds, trumpets, and angels is used to depict the power and glory of Christ’s return. Theological Interpretations Of The Parousia | Jesus’ Second Coming The concept of the Parousia has been interpreted in a variety of ways throughout Christian history. Dispensationalism Dispensationalism is a theological framework that emerged in the 19th Century and has since become popular among some evangelical and fundamentalist Christians. Dispensationalists believe that history is divided into distinct periods or ‘dispensations’, each of which is marked by a particular mode of divine revelation and a specific plan of salvation. According to dispensationalist theology, the Parousia will be preceded by a period of tribulation, during which the Antichrist will establish a one-world government and the Jews will be restored to their homeland. The Parousia itself will involve a physical, visible return of Christ, who will establish a thousand-year reign on earth before the final judgment. Preterism Preterism is a theological interpretation of the Parousia that holds that many of the prophecies in the New Testament, particularly those in the book of Revelation, were fulfilled in the first century AD. According to this view, the Parousia occurred in a spiritual sense when Christ ascended to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to empower the Church. Preterists argue that the tribulation and other end-time events predicted in the New Testament were fulfilled in the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in AD 70. Postmillennialism Postmillennialism is a theological view that holds that the Parousia will occur after a period of history in which the Church will gradually bring about the kingdom of God on earth. According to this view, the Church will spread the gospel throughout the world, and social, political, and economic conditions will gradually improve. Eventually, Christ will return to a world that has been largely transformed by the Gospel. Amillennialism […]
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