Dear Congregation,
Our lectionary text from this past Sunday continues. This Sunday, October 23, we move further in Luke 18. Last Sunday, Jesus used the parable of the Persistent Widow to talk about persistent prayer. This Sunday, the theme of prayer continues.
As you will read (below), we have the Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector. When I read this text yesterday, I drew distance between the two. In their prayer lives, one man is here, the other is there. They've distinct. Most commentary supports this line of thinking.
I have another thought. Maybe the parable of these two in the Temple isn't so either/or when it comes to our own prayers. We may be like the Pharisee at times. We may not be as polished as the Pharisee, but we may sound as pretty. Our prayers may elevate us into the "us" and "them" camps.
As our week unfolds and your prayers continue, I invite you to practice an awareness of the privilege of prayer. The sinful tax collector, who cannot even look up, has much to teach us. Let's learn from him as we pray together.
Our text Sunday is Luke 18:1-14 (NLT).
The Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector
9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer[b]: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’
13 “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.’ 14 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.”
PRAYER: Lord, close our distance to You. Keep teaching us--and touching us--with our prayers to You. Amen.
Footnotes [b]
18:11 Some manuscripts read stood and prayed this prayer to himself.