Warning, a Slick Path

   Jesus tells the crowd this parable, the one about the Pharisee and the tax collector, from Luke 18: 9-14.

   On the surface this seems an easy one for me to relate to. Jesus berates the Pharisee for his self righteous and haughty attitude. Not only does he stand out in the crowd in the temple, praying, but it seems in his heart he actually believes and lives like what he prays is really true. Here is a man that knows for sure that he is better than most, especially the tax collector, that notorious sinner, who prays that God might please have mercy on him.

   The religious leader is proud of who he is and what he has become. He sees men look to him for guidance, to make way for him in the streets, and, in short, to treat him like he is, indeed, better than most. He feels he actually deserves the praise of the people, because of his position, his learning and his wisdom. He puts himself in positions and places where people can see him for what he thinks he is and praise him for it.

   On the other hand, there is the tax collector, a man despised by the people of Israel for his job of taking their money, as much as he can, they think, and handing it over to the power that ruled over them. They think him a greedy traitor, the worst of sinners, because of his service for an ungodly power, taking money from God's own people so that Rome can use it in a most unholy way.

   Both of these men seem to agree with the people's assessment of their position and their worth. The Pharisee is glad to agree with his place in the eyes of the crowd, he knows them to be right, and the IRS man must feel like he is stuck with what the people have given him. The main difference is that the tax man does not accept the people's judgment as final. He knows what the people think, but trusts God to be the ultimate judge of his worth. The tax collector asks for mercy while the religious leader asks for confirmation.

   Both of these men seemed to know their own heart. They knew their position before the people, and probably translated that to their position before a Holy God. The difference in the two was in their acceptance of this place, the Pharisee was grateful and the publican was repentant.

   People around me come up and give me an assessment of my place among them, the problem comes in my acceptance of that place if it is a good one. Much better to take that with a grain of salt and rely on God's.

The praise of men is a very slippery slope.