Bible Story Of The Tax Collector And The Pharisee
The Bible is full of stories that teach us valuable lessons. One of these stories is the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee. This story is found in the Gospel of Luke 18:9-14. In this story, Jesus tells a parable about two men who went to the temple to pray. One was a tax collector, and the other was a Pharisee. This article will examine this parable in detail and discuss the lessons that we can learn from it.
The Setting of the Story
The story takes place in the temple in Jerusalem. The temple was the center of Jewish worship and was considered the holiest place on earth. It was a place where people would come to pray, offer sacrifices, and seek forgiveness for their sins. The temple was also a place where people would come to hear the teachings of the rabbis and learn more about the Jewish faith.
The Characters in the Story
The two main characters in the story are the tax collector and the Pharisee. The tax collector was a Jewish man who worked for the Roman government, collecting taxes from his fellow Jews. Tax collectors were often despised by their fellow Jews because they were seen as traitors who worked for the enemy. In contrast, the Pharisee was a Jewish religious leader who was highly respected by the people. The Pharisees were known for their strict adherence to the Jewish law and their emphasis on religious rituals.
The Story
Jesus tells the story of the tax collector and the Pharisee to a group of people who were confident in their own righteousness and looked down on others. In the story, the Pharisee goes to the temple to pray and stands in a prominent place where everyone can see him. He prays, "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."
On the other hand, the tax collector stands at a distance and doesn't even look up to heaven. He beats his chest and prays, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Jesus then tells the people listening that it was the tax collector who went home justified before God, not the Pharisee.
The Lessons We Can Learn
This parable teaches us several valuable lessons. The first lesson is that God values humility over pride. The Pharisee was proud of his accomplishments and looked down on others. In contrast, the tax collector was humble and recognized his own sinfulness. God values humility and a contrite heart over pride and self-righteousness.
The second lesson is that we should not judge others. The Pharisee judged the tax collector and saw him as a sinner. However, in God's eyes, we are all sinners in need of grace and forgiveness. We should not judge others based on their past or their sins but instead should show them love and compassion.
The third lesson is that we should not trust in our own righteousness but instead should rely on God's mercy and grace. The Pharisee trusted in his own good works and believed that he was justified before God because of them. However, it was the tax collector who recognized his need for God's mercy and was justified before God.
Conclusion
The parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee teaches us valuable lessons about humility, judging others, and relying on God's grace. It reminds us that we are all sinners in need of God's mercy and that we should show love and compassion to others. Let us strive to be like the tax collector who recognized his need for God's mercy and was justified before God.