Parables and The Epiphany: Luke 18 - The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

1. Prayer
God of steadfast love,
you sent your Son as the light of the world,
saving people everywhere from sin and death.
Complete your purpose made known in him,
and make us the vessels of his light,
that all the world may glory
in the splendor of your peace.
Amen.

2. theCHURCH
CALENDAR

3. Part 3: The Pharisee and the Tax
PARABLES and the EPIPHANY

5. • Herodian Dynasty Local ”puppet” regime under Roman
control
• Essenes Qumran ascetics/scribes
• Pharisees Respected synagogue leaders; teachers/interpreters of
Torah
• Sadducees Religious elites w/political connections; pro status
quo
• Samaritans Central Palestine; “half breeds”
• Tax Collectors Jewish traitors corrupted by, and working for,
Rome
ANCIENT JEWISH GROUPS (2nd Temple)

6. Luke 18:9-14

7. 1. A critique of the Temple
itself, or of its taxation
system
2. A critique of Judaism’s
supposed “works based
righteousness,” which isn’t
uniquely Jewish, and isn’t
this PARABLE
is NOT about…

8. The
Pharisee/Tax
Collector
by
Bryn
Gillette

9. A first-century Jewish audience…
would be forced…to allow for
the possibility that a tax collector
could be righteous. Those
listeners might hear even more
provocative, more disturbing
messages about both personal
righteousness and divine mercy,
but select Christian theology and
English translations that follow
AMY-JILL LEVINE

10. He also told this parable
to some who trusted
in themselves that they
were righteous and
regarded
others with contempt:
‘Two men went up
to the temple to pray,
one a Pharisee and
LUKE 18:9-10

11. The Pharisee, standing
by himself, was praying
thus, ‘God, I thank you that
I am not like other people:
thieves, rogues, adulterers,
or even like this tax-
collector.
I fast twice a week; I give
a tenth of all my income.’
LUKE 18:11-12

12. But the tax-collector,
standing far off, would not
even look up
to heaven, but was beating
his breast and saying,
“God, be merciful
to me, a sinner!”
LUKE 18:13

13. I tell you, this man
went down to his home
justified alongside the other;
*for all who exalt themselves
will be humbled, but all
who humble themselves
will be exalted.
*Luke 14:11; Matt 23:12
LUKE 18:14

14. With whom are readers to
identify, the Pharisee who
does so much more than is
expected, and perhaps is a bit
self-satisfied in the process, or
the tax collector who, as far as
we know, has done nothing
for the benefit of the
community, but who at least
seems sincere in his requests?
AMY-JILL LEVINE

15. If we dismiss them both, we
are also trapped, for most of
us are neither as (super
righteous)
as the Pharisee nor as sinful
as the tax collector…We are
quite happy when we are
saved; we are less happy when
this salvation is extended to
people we do not like,
AMY-JILL LEVINE

16. God doesn’t think highly
of self-righteous arrogance,
or of actionless repentance,
but shows mercy to both
in the context of community
WHAT does this PARABLE
REVEAL about GOD?

18. Closing Prayer
God our deliverer,
you walk with the meek and the poor,
the compassionate and those who mourn,
and you call us to walk humbly with you.
When we are foolish, be our wisdom;
when we are weak, be our strength;
that as we learn to do justice and love mercy,
your rule may come as blessing for all.
Amen.