Parable of the pharisee and the tax collector

Prologue:

It is a pleasing experience to research the Parables told by the Lord. Treasures stream as we dig into it. Every parable gives a new meaning each time we read it. Hence, no man can boast about disclosing a hidden message in the parables. Among the numerous edges of a diamond, some edges sparkle and reflect the light. Likewise, each parable reveals its new meaning in a new angle, each time we meditate on it. Let us research the parable told by Christ about the prayers of a Pharisee and a Tax Collector.

Parable:

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)

The Lord tells this parable in a way that anyone can understand the meaning of it directly. “A man is not saved by his self-righteousness or deeds but through the Grace of God,” is the direct message that Christ wanted to convey. But, to reveal this message, he uses two interesting characters. A Pharisee and a Tax Collector. Let us explore who they are.

Pharisees:

The term ‘Pharisee’ is found nowhere in the Old Testament. These Pharisees emerged during a time period between the last book, Malachi of Old Testament and the first book, Matthew of New Testament, in the Revolt of the Maccabees. The term, ‘Pharisee’ means ‘the one who is different.’ Historian Josephus says that there were around 6000 Pharisees, who lived in Palestine before the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem built by Herod.

History says that these Pharisees had a high status in the society and were respected by all the people. They had a domination over the people’s minds to pay them the first honor in public and in the feasts. They were the scholars of Mosaic scriptures, and they were headstrong in following those scriptures. They also wanted that determination to show off as nobles in the society.

They filter their wine carefully, so as to prevent themselves from eating a gnat accidentally. Gnat is a tiny insect like mosquito which comes under the category of rejected foods that the Jews should not consume. This is how they follow the Mosaic Law blindly. Jesus rebuked them,

“You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel,” for this. The largest living thing rejected from eating is the camel. Not just that, they also used to count the number of fenugreek and cumin seeds in order to offer their tithe.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites forsook the Lord numerous times and worshipped the idols and were punished for it. But, this condition changed completely after the forthcoming of the Pharisees. They dominated the Jewish sect and kept people under the control of religion. That is why, the Israelites did not stoop towards idol worship even when they were enslaved by the Roman Government that worshipped the idols.

This could appear to be healthy in one way, nonetheless the Lord God was not happy towards it, which is revealed by the words of Christ to the Pharisees. The Pharisees had a great profit in preventing the people from idol worshipping. They exalted Judaism only as a sect but the spirit of the nation remained lifeless and dark.

The total concern of the Pharisees were only about the service of God and the rituals. They never cared about the will of the Father and doing his will. They showed off themselves as holy on the outside, but their hearts were vile. For this reason, Christ criticized them as ‘whitewashed tombs!’ In Matthew 23, the criticism of Pharisees by the Christ is recorded clearly.

Tax Collectors:

They were also Jews. But why were they hated as Samaritans by the Jews? Only because they collected the tax. You may inquire, “What is the problem with tax collection? Even today, we live among the workers of Income Tax Department. Do we dislike them just because of their job?”

We can understand why the tax collectors were despised, if we learn how they collected tax in those times. The Romans put the Jews in charge of collecting tax, those Jews were called as Tax Collectors. They collect the tax allocated by the government and transmit it to the government. When they collect currency more than allocated, they retain it with themselves. Thus, these tax collectors plundered their own people in order to nourish themselves. When trouble arose, they betrayed their own people to the Romans. We know a saying, ‘forgive an enemy but not a traitor!’ On this basis, the Tax Collectors were understated as evil and treacherous.

Matthew, a disciple of Jesus is one such Tax Collector (author of Matthew Gospel), Zacchaeus as well. They were imbued by the Grace of Christ. Jesus neither respected the Pharisees as others did in the society nor did he despise the Tax Collectors. He did not see as humans perceive. He showed no partiality. We have read how people pulled a face, when Jesus sat with the Tax Collectors in a banquet.

Perception of the Parable:

The Pharisee is metaphorically shown as the one who is satiated with his self-righteousness, pride, adamance and arrogance. Whereas the Tax Collector is metaphorically shown as a pathetic, belittled, guilty conscious, broken hearted man who pleads for God’s mercy. Not just in this Parable, but also in reality in those days, they might have been in this state. The Pharisees and Zacchaeus are the witnesses for this!

The Pharisee, sufficed with his self-righteousness, prays to God ‘standing’ courageously inside the synagogue. While, the Tax Collector, pricked by his guilty conscience, stood at a distance, ‘he would not even look up to Heaven,’ but beat his breast and cried, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” The Heaven declines the Pharisee and accepts the sinner (Tax Collector). He went home justified.

Our Perception:

“All our righteous acts are like filthy rags,” says the Bible (Isaiah 64:6). How can God accept a sinner when he considers self-righteousness as a filthy rag? On what basis did God approve a sinner, while renouncing a Pharisee? Here comes the ‘Grace’. When a disqualified man comes to God pleading for mercy, Grace comes in to lift him up. The Crucifixion of Christ has given us this Grace. There is no salvation without the Cross!

“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Christ concludes the parable, conveying this moral. Here the word ‘exalt’ does not refer to one’s financial or social status but his spiritual status. We can understand that the term ‘exalt’ refers to ‘salvation’ as Jesus says that the Tax Collector went home justified.