Most of them as they listened to this story were guessing, ‘It’s obvious which one gets saved. John Foster grew up in the Chicago, Illinois, area and began attending the Church of God with his parents in 1958. Question: "What is the meaning of the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector?" But that’s where the similarity ends. Rev. Jesus loved to draw contrasts in order to drive home kingdom principles and truths. Alas, we despise him in a truly Pharisaical manner. Sign up to receive the week's latest articles, blog posts and updates. It is the most theological because it deals with the subject that is of most importance to the life of the Christian–namely, how a man or woman, boy or girl is accepted before God. Terms of Use Privacy Policy Copyright Policy, Counseling, Biblical counseling, Biblicist, Wisdom, Headship, Head covering, Women, Women's roles, Male and female, Male headship, Going Up, Going Down: The Story of Two Men at Church, Click Here to Subscribe to BCL's Free Weekly Newsletter and Weekday Devotional, When Our Plans Are Upended: Remembering the Goodness and Sovereignty of God, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly—Thinking Through 2020 in Light of Psalm 90. 9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a Tax Collector. How Should a Christian Deal With the Coronavirus Pandemic? He’s viewed as a model of religious devotion. The Pharisee and the tax collector were figurative of typical attitudes that are common even in our age today. Print subscriptions available in U.S., Canada and Europe, Article URL: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/change/justification/the-pharisee-and-the-tax-collector/. What did the tax collector do that the religious Pharisee did not do? It was for “those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.” The Pharisee’s prayer was exactly that—a self-serving attempt to tell God how righteous he was. The other man was a tax collector. Throughout the gospel records, tax collectors are identified with “sinners”—a term usually reserved in Jewish society for those known for their sexual immorality. Answer: The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in the Temple (Luke 18:9-14) is rich with spiritual truth. Pharisees were super-religious men who were extremely careful about obeying the Torah. Jesus Christ often spoke in parables or stories using familiar settings, and He often spoke about various segments of the population. In contrast, a tax collector was considered the scum of the earth, the very bottom of the religious food chain in Israel. Notice what Solomon wrote about how God views pride: “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate” (Proverbs 8:13). Each man’s prayer was different from the other, and it is instructive for us to consider. He has a religion that has no place for mercy, whereas the tax collector saw his need for mercy. The Bible Text (Luke 18:9-14) And He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer. The correct attitude of humility was displayed by a tax collector even though tax collectors of the day were despised by the Jews. In fact, it contains the very essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Pharisee “prayed with himself”; the tax collector cried out to God. He acknowledged he was a sinner and asked for God’s mercy, and he was justified. Lesson Outline 1. 10 “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. All rights reserved. On face value both of them seemed to be praying to the same God. You are watching BibleStudyTools.com: What is the meaning of the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14)?-Jerry Marcellino on Godtube.com the largest video sharing platform offering online Christian videos with faith-based, family friendly content. Two Activities 3. The Pharisee is more like you or me than the tax collector. Scroll to the bottom to view this video in its entirety. The Pharisee lives a far better life in society than the tax collector does. Introduction 2. By all human standards, the tax collector was disqualified from salvation on account of the following sinful characteristics: The tax collector had been an unmerciful, money-extorting man. Learn more about how God wants us to respond to Him by downloading our free booklet Change Your Life! © 2021 Beautiful Christian Life LLC. The Pharisee was a respected, religious member of the covenant community. * Story – The parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-13) * Story – Yrtle the Turtle, by Dr. Seuss * a plastic toy turtle, wood blocks, balloons * Words for display – Pharisee, tax collector, humble, proud * Worksheets. We go up into the temple to pray; we stand and pray thus with ourselves: “God I thank thee that I am not as other men are, proud of my own righteousness, uncharitable toward publicans, or even as this—Pharisee. The tax collector was a despised and questionable figure in Jewish society. Christ “spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.”, “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.”. The Pharisee is thankful for all things in his life. This lesson looks at the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector to discuss the meaning and importance of humility, and reminds students that our prayers and our lives should be focused on God. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. "For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted." One man was full of pride and was quite self-righteous. To view the full ESV Copyright information, click here. Perfect for Sunday School, Children's Church, or the Ministry Moment Children's Sermon. Self-Righteousness. Every time I hear this prayer I feel called to postulate as the tax collector does. 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