THE “PHARISEE” IN EACH OF US  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ Luke 18:9-14

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 2/13/22

JESUS WAS A GREAT​​ TEACHER​​ 

LARGELY BECAUSE HE WAS A GREAT​​ STORYTELLER.

WE HUMAN BEINGS LOVE STORIES, BECAUSE THEY TAKE US

OUT​​ OF OUR WORLD EVEN WHILE THEY EXPLAIN IT TO US.

EFFECTIVE STORIES​​ TEACH​​ US, USUALLY​​ WITHOUT

OUR​​ KNOWING​​ THAT THEY ARE DOING SO.

THERE WERE INSTANCES WHEN JESUS TOLD A STORY

BECAUSE WHAT HE HAD TO SAY WAS TOO​​ SENSITIVE

TO BE SAID​​ DIRECTLY.

NO DOUBT THIS WAS THE CASE ON THE DAY WHEN JESUS

SUDDENLY SAYS TO ALL WITHIN EARSHOT:

“LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THESE TWO GUYS

WHO WENT TO THE TEMPLE TO PRAY.”

THE PEOPLE EDGED IN CLOSER

TO BE SURE THEY WOULDN’T MISS A WORD.

JESUS BEGINS: ​​ “ONE WAS A PHARISEE​​ 

AND THE OTHER A TAX​​ COLLECTOR.”

IT’S HARD TO PICK A HERO AND A VILLIAN FROM​​ THAT​​ CAST.

ON THE​​ SURFACE, THE PEOPLE​​ ADMIRED​​ THE PHARISEES.

THEY WERE IN AWE OF THEIR PUBLIC RIGHTEOUSNESS.

BUT THEY SELDOM​​ LIKED​​ THEM. ​​ 

IT’S HARD TO LIKE SOMEONE WHO’S ALWAYS LOOKING AT YOU

WITH​​ DISDAIN,​​ CONDESCENSION, AND PERHAPS EVEN​​ CONTEMPT.

THE TAX COLLECTORS WERE NO BETTER.

THEY WERE COLLABORATING WITH A DESPISED FOREIGN​​ POWER,

THAT OF THE ROMANS.

AND THEY WERE FAMOUS FOR MAKING A HEALTHY​​ PROFIT

FOR​​ THEMSELVES​​ IN THE PROCESS OF COLLECTING THEIR TAXES.

BUT THE TAX COLLECTOR DID HAVE​​ ONE​​ APPEALING VIRTUE.

IT ISN’T ONE WE LIKE TO MENTION, BUT IT’S​​ THERE, ALL THE SAME.

THEY PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE WORLD OF MORAL VALUES

BY BEING THE GROUP THAT​​ EVERYONE​​ ELSE​​ LOOKED​​ DOWN​​ ON.

BACK TO OUR STORY.

IN THE TEMPLE, THE TWO MEN PRAYED.

THE PHARISEE’S POSITION OF​​ STANDING​​ BY​​ HIMSELF

CAPTURES​​ HIS​​ HAUGHTY​​ ATTITUDE, AN ATTITUDE​​ 

THAT WILL PERMEATE HIS BRIEF BUT REVEALING PRAYER.

ALTHOUGH THE PHARISEE MAY BE​​ ADDRESSING​​ GOD,

HE IS REALLY TALKING TO​​ HIMSELF.

HE REPEATS THE PRONOUN “I” FOUR TIMES.

HE​​ IS THE CENTER OF HIS PRAYER, NOT​​ GOD.

“GOD, I THANK YOU THAT I AM​​ NOT​​ LIKE OTHER PEOPLE,” HE SAYS.

NOW, IT’S GOOD TO BE​​ SPECIFIC​​ IN​​ PRAYER,

FOR IT PREVENTS​​ LAZY​​ PRAYING, OR PRAYING IN​​ GENERALITIES.

BUT​​ THIS​​ KIND OF SPECIFICITY ISN’T VERY COMMENDABLE.

HE BEGINS TO​​ LIST​​ PEOPLE HE’S GLAD HE ISN’T LIKE:

“THIEVES, ROGUES, ADULTERERS, OR EVEN LIKE THIS TAX COLLECTOR.”

I SUPPOSE WE CAN SAY THAT THE PHARISEE ISN’T​​ OBLIVIOUS​​ 

TO OTHER PEOPLE IN THE WORLD:

HE NOTICES THEM ENOUGH TO BE GRATEFUL

THAT​​ HE​​ IS​​ BETTER​​ THAN​​ THEY​​ ARE.

HAVING ESTABLISHED HIS CREDENTIALS​​ NEGATIVELY​​ –

BY COMPARING HIMSELF WITH SOME OF THE​​ WORST​​ EXAMPLES

OF HUMANITY – HE GOES TO WORK ON HIS​​ POSITIVE​​ RECORD.

HE COMPLIMENTS HIMSELF OF HIS​​ OVER-THE-TOP​​ PERFECTION.

HE GOES WELL​​ BEYOND​​ WHAT THE LAW PRESECRIBES,

FASTING AND TITHING​​ MORE​​ THAN IS REQUIRED.

IN​​ HIS​​ MIND HIS ZEALOUS PRACTICE MAKES HIM​​ SPECIAL

AND​​ SEPARATES​​ HIM FROM THE RIFF-RAFF.

THIS COMPARATIVE SUPERIORITY IS AVAILABLE TO HIM

MERELY BY GLANCING AT THE “COMPETITION” IN THE TEMPLE.

THE FAR-OFF TAX COLLECTOR IS PROOF POSITIVE

THAT HE, THE PHARISEE, IS​​ NOT​​ LIKE OTHERS.

FOR THE PHARISEE, THE​​ REAL​​ ACTION IS BETWEEN​​ HIM​​ 

AND THE​​ TAX​​ COLLECTOR.

GOD, THE FOCUS OF ALL​​ GENUINE​​ PRAYER,

HAS RECEDED COMPLETELY INTO THE​​ BACKGROUND.

JUST AS THE INTRODUCTION TO THE PARABLE HAS PREDICTED,

THE PHARISEE IS SIMULTANEOUSLY​​ TRUSTING​​ IN​​ HIMSELF

AND​​ BERATING​​ OTHERS.

BOTH ATTITUDES GO HAND-IN-HAND.

MEANWHILE, IN A FAR CORNER OF THE TEMPLE,

THE TAX COLLECTOR IS PRAYING.

HE CAN’T EVEN LIFT HIS EYES TO HEAVEN.

HE IS DEEPLY AGITATED.

HE BEATS HIS CLENCHED FISTS INTO HIS CHEST AS HE CRIES,

“GOD, BE MERCIFUL TO ME, A SINNER.”

THE CROWD IS ENJOYING THE STORY.

THE TWO MEN HAVE PRAYED JUST AS THE CROWD

WOULD HAVE​​ EXPECTED.

THE PHARISEE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN​​ LIKEABLE,

BUT IT WAS TRUE THAT HE DID EVERYTHING HE SPOKE OF.

ALMOST EVERYONE IN THE CROWD HAS SEEN HIS

RELIGIOUS PERFORMANCE AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER.

AND THEY FIGURED THAT THE TAX COLLECTOR HAD GOOD REASON

TO STAND OFF IN A CORNER AND WEEP ABOUT HIS SINS.

HIS CHEATING AND LYING WERE COMMON KNOWLEDGE;

SOME IN THE CROWD HAD BEEN HIS VICTIMS.

HE HAD GOOD REASON TO BEAT HIS CHEST AND WEEP,

AND THEY WERE PLEASED TO SEE HIM DO SO.

BUT JESUS’ CLOSING LINE​​ SHOCKED​​ THEM.

THIS ISN’T SURPRISING, BECAUSE JESUS’ CLOSING LINES

SO OFTEN DO JUST THAT – SURPRISE AND SHOCK.

IN THIS RESPECT, THE FIRST-CENTURY CROWD HAS AN​​ EDGE​​ ON​​ US,

BECAUSE THEY WERE​​ ABLE​​ TO​​ BE​​ SHOCKED BY JESUS’ STORIES.

WE​​ HAVE​​ DOMESTICATED​​ THEM TO SUCH AN EXTENT

THAT WE HARDLY RECOGNIZE HOW​​ SHOCKING​​ THEY​​ ARE.

“I WANT TO TELL YOU,” JESUS SAYS, “THAT THIS​​ TAX​​ COLLECTOR

WENT HOME JUSTIFIED, RIGHT WITH GOD.

THE PHARISEE​​ DIDN’T.

AND I’LL TELL YOU WHY,” SAYS JESUS.

“ALL WHO​​ EXALT​​ THEMSELVES WILL BE HUMBLED,

AND ALL WHO​​ HUMBLE​​ THEMSELVES​​ WILL BE EXALTED.”

YOU AND I LIKE THIS STORY BECAUSE​​ WE​​ IDENTIFY

WITH THE​​ HUMILITY​​ OF THE​​ TAX​​ COLLECTOR.

WE EASILY ADMIT​​ OUR​​ IMPERFECTIONS,

SO WE SEE OURSELVES AS​​ COMMENDABLE.

BUT IT​​ WASN’T​​ JESUS’​​ AIM

TO MAKE THE​​ TAX​​ COLLECTORS​​ FEEL BETTER.

HIS AIM WAS TO STIR THE CONSCIENCES OF THE PHARISEES –

ALL OF​​ US​​ PHARISEES.

LET’S STEP​​ OUT​​ OF​​ THE HUMBLE SHOES OF THE TAX COLLECTOR,

AND​​ INTO​​ THE SELF-RIGHTEOUS SHOES OF THE PHARISEE.

ON THE​​ ONE​​ HAND, IT ISN’T​​ EASY.

WE DON’T REALLY​​ LIKE​​ THE PHARISEE.

WE’VE MET HIM, AND WE DON’T LIKE HIM.

IN FACT, WE’VE PROBABLY MET EVERYONE IN THE PHARISEE’S FAMILY,

AND THEY DON’T APPEAL TO US, EITHER.

BUT ON THE​​ OTHER​​ HAND, YOU AND I MAY​​ RESEMBLE​​ THE​​ PHARISEE

MORE THAN WE LIKE TO​​ ADMIT, OR THAN WE EVEN​​ REALIZE.

THE TRUTH IS, MOST OF US UNDERSTAND THE PHARISEE​​ 

BETTER THAN WE WANT TO.

IN SOME MEASURE, WE PROBABLY BELONG TO HIS FAMILY.

I KNOW I DO.

NO, NOT MANY OF US WOULD BE SO AUDACIOUS AS TO ACTUALLY

SPEAK​​ THE WORDS ATTRIBUTED TO HIM IN THIS PARABLE,

BUT MOST OF US HAVE ENTERTAINED SUCH WORDS AT SOME POINT

IN OUR​​ PRIVATE​​ THOUGHTS.

WE ARE PEOPLE WHO TEND TO CONGRATULATE OURSELVES​​ 

NOW AND​​ AGAIN ON OUR MORAL ACHIEVEMENTS.

WE DON’T OFTEN DO SO IN THE TEMPLE, AS THE PHARISEES DID.

WE DO SO WHILE READING THE NEWSPAPER

OR WHILE WATCHING THE EVENING NEWS.

WE CAN’T EVERYONE BE LIKE ME, WE THINK.

IF THEY WERE, THERE WOULDN’T BE SO MANY TROUBLES.

“I THANK YOU, GOD, THAT I PAY MY TAXES.​​ 

I PICK UP AFTER THE DOG.

I OBEY THE SPEED LIMITS.

I DON’T BURDEN SOCIETY WITH DRUG USE.

AND ON AND ON. . .

I’M A​​ CONTRIBUTOR​​ TO SOCIETY, NOT A​​ PROBLEM​​ OR​​ BURDEN.

WHY CAN’T OTHER PEOPLE BE LIKE​​ ME?”

DON’T WE THINK LIKE THAT? ​​ I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES I DO.

AND ISN’T THAT THE PHARISEE’S PRAYER,​​ 

EVEN THOUGH WE THINK IT OVER THE NEWSPAPER,

OR AT THE BUSINESS OR SOCIAL LUNCH,​​ 

RATHER THAN IN CHURCH.

BUT​​ WHY​​ DOESN’T GOD​​ APPRECIATE

THE PHARISEE’S GOODNESS AND RELIGIOSITY?​​ 

OR​​ OURS, WHERE​​ WE’RE​​ LIKE THE PHARISEE?

FOR ONE THING, THE PHARISEE IS USING​​ RELIGION​​ 

TO HOLD GOD AT A​​ DISTANCE.

THE​​ PURPOSE​​ OF RELIGION, CLEARLY, IS TO DRAW US​​ CLOSER​​ TO GOD,

AND THEN TO OUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS.

BUT THE PHARISEE – AND THE PHARISEE IN US –

IS USING RELIGION TO HOLD​​ GOD​​ AT A​​ SAFE​​ DISTANCE,

AND OTHER HUMAN BEINGS AT A LEVEL​​ BELOW.

GOD​​ WANTS A PLACE IN THE PHARISEE’S​​ HEART​​ AND​​ HOME.

THE​​ PHARISEE​​ WANTS TO KEEP GOD CAPTIVE IN THE​​ TEMPLE.

GOD​​ WANTS TRUTH AND SINCERITY​​ WITHIN;

THE​​ PHARISEE​​ WANTS A SET OF​​ RULES​​ HE CAN FOLLOW.

LIKE THE PHARISEE, WE TEND TO LIKE THE KIND OF RELIGION

WE CAN​​ MEASURE​​ – BECAUSE THIS​​ PROTECTS​​ US

FROM MORE​​ DEMANDING​​ ISSUES.

GOD​​ RAISES AN ISSUE THAT IS TERRIBLY COMPLEX BECAUSE

IT​​ CAN’T​​ BE MEASURED: LOVE ME WITH ALL YOUR

HEART, SOUL, MIND, AND STRENGTH.

THE PHARISEE – AND THE PHARISEE IN​​ US,​​ 

JUMPS TO THE ANSWER, “I’D RATHER​​ TITHE.”

WHEN WE TITHE, WE​​ KNOW​​ WHEN WE’RE​​ DONE

WITH OUR OBLIGATIONS, AS WE PERCEIVE THEM,

WHEREAS WHEN WE​​ LOVE, WE’RE​​ NEVER​​ REALLY DONE.

FASTING IS ALSO MEASURABLE. ​​ BUT WHEN GOD SAYS,

“LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,”

I WANT TO ANSWER, “BUT THERE’S NO​​ END​​ TO THAT.

IT’S AN INTANGIBLE COMMANDMENT.

IT​​ GROWS AS​​ I​​ GROW, SO I​​ NEVER​​ CATCH UP WITH IT.”

TRUE​​ WORSHIP OF GOD SHOULD BRING OUT OUR HUMILITY,

FOR IT IS IN HUMILITY THAT WE ARE MORE LIKELY​​ 

TO LOVE GOD AND OTHER PEOPLE.

THE​​ PHARISEE’S​​ RELIGION, HOWEVER, MADE HIM​​ PROUD.

HE HAD JUST ENOUGH RELIGION​​ 

TO MAKE HIM FEEL​​ SUPERIOR​​ TO OTHER PEOPLE.

IN MANY WAYS, THE PHARISEE REALLY​​ WAS​​ BETTER​​ 

THAN MOST PEOPLE. ​​ 

BUT THE​​ POINT​​ IS THAT WE DON’T HAVE TO BE BETTER THAN​​ OTHERS.

THE​​ POINT​​ IS THAT WE STRIVE TO BE​​ LIKE​​ GOD.

THE PHARISEE LOOKED AROUND HIM, PROBABLY A BIT SELECTIVELY,

AND SAW HOW MUCH BETTER HE WAS THAN OTHER PEOPLE –

ESPECIALLY​​ BETTER THAN THIS TAX COLLECTOR.

BUT BY THE STANDARDS OF HIS OWN TIME AND RELIGION,

THAT WASN’T SAYING MUCH.

TAX COLLECTORS WERE VERY LOW ON THE SPIRITUAL HIT CHART.

COMPARING HIMSELF WITH THE TAX COLLECTOR

WAS A LITTLE LIKE A PH.D. BOASTING​​ 

THAT HE OR SHE KNOWS MORE THAN A FOURTH GRADER.

BUT THE PHARISEE NOT ONLY​​ LOOKED​​ DOWN​​ 

ON THE TAX COLLECTOR, HE​​ DESPISED​​ THE TAX COLLECTOR.

YOU CAN’T MAKE A CASE FOR LOVING​​ GOD

WHEN YOU​​ HATE​​ YOUR​​ NEIGHBOR.

IN THAT REGARD, THE PHARISEE WAS IN BIG TROUBLE.

TRUE​​ RELIGION MAKES US FEEL OUR​​ NEED​​ FOR GOD.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE PHARISEE HAD THE KIND OF RELIGION

THAT MAKES ONE FEEL THAT ONE CAN GET ALONG​​ WITHOUT​​ GOD.

ISN’T THAT WHAT THE PHARISEE HAS IN MIND IN HIS PRAYER?

HE WAS SAYING, IN EFFECT, “HOW FORTUNATE YOU ARE,​​ 

ALMIGHTY ONE, TO HAVE​​ ME!”

THE TAX COLLECTOR, ON THE OTHER HAND, WAS PRAYING,

“DO YOU SEE, O GOD, HOW BADLY I NEED​​ YOU?”

THE ROOT PROBLEM FOR GOOD PEOPLE IS NOT SIMPLY

THAT THEY HAVE A HOLIER-THAN-THOU ATTITUDE.

IT IS THAT THEY ARE POSSESSED BY A​​ HOLIER-THAN-GOD​​ ATTITUDE.

THEY CONDEMN IN JUDGMENT THOSE WHOM GOD DOES NOT,​​ 

AND THEY REFUSE TO GIVE ROOM FOR THE​​ GRACE​​ OF GOD,​​ 

NOT ONLY FOR​​ OTHERS, BUT ALSO FOR​​ THEMSELVES.

FOR​​ OTHERS, BECAUSE THEY DON’T BELIEVE THEY​​ DESERVE​​ IT.

FOR​​ THEMSELVES, BECAUSE THEY DON’T BELIEVE THEY​​ NEED​​ IT.

ALL THIS, OF COURSE, RAISES THE QUESTION

“HOW DO WE​​ TAME​​ THE PHARISEE WITHIN​​ OURSELVES?”

I THINK THAT UNFLINCHING​​ HONESTY​​ ABOUT OURSELVES

AND DEVELOPING A SENSE OF​​ SELF-AWARENESS

ABOUT​​ HOW​​ WE RELATE TO OTHERS ARE BOTH ESSENTIAL

TO RECOGNIZING AND​​ TAMING THE PHARISEE WITHIN.

I’VE USED THE FOLLOWING ILLUSTRATION BEFORE,​​ 

BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF TALKING ABOUT​​ 

THE GENEROSITY OF THE HOMELESS.

TODAY I’D LIKE TO ASK YOU TO FOCUS ON THE HONESTY

AND SELF-AWARENESS OF​​ THE WRITER OF THE ILLUSTRATION --

AND FOR ALL OF US TO ASK OURSELVES WHAT WE CAN LEARN

FROM HIS EXAMPLE:

LONG BEFORE SEBASTIAN JUNGER WROTE​​ THE PERFECT STORM,

HE DECIDED TO HITCHHIKE ACROSSS THE COUNTRY.

HE​​ WRITES OF WHAT TOOK PLACE WHILE MAKING HIS WAY​​ 

THROUGH THE AFTERMATH OF A BLIZZARD IN GILLETTE, WYOMING:

“AFTER TWO OR THREE HOURS I SAW A MAN

WORKING HIS WAY TOWARD ME ALONG THE ON-RAMP FROM TOWN.

HE WORE FILTHY CANVAS COVERALLS​​ 

AND CARRIED A BLACK LUNCHBOX,

AND AS HE GOT CLOSER I COULD SEE THAT HIS HAIR WAS MATTED

IN A WAY THAT OCCURS ONLY AFTER MONTHS ON THE SKIDS.

I PUT MY HAND ON THE PEPPER SPRAY IN MY POCKET

AND TURNED TO FACE HIM.

‘YOU BEEN OUT HERE​​ LONG?’ HE ASKED. ​​ I NODDED.

‘WHERE YOU HEADED?’

‘CALIFORNIA.’

‘WARM OUT THERE.’

‘YUP.’

‘YOU GOT ENOUGH FOOD?’

I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS. ​​ CLEARLY HE DIDN’T HAVE ANY,

AND IF I ADMITTED THAT I DID, HE’D ASK FOR SOME.

THAT WOULD MEAN OPENING MY BACKPACK

AND REVEALING ALL MY EXPENSIVE CAMPING GEAR.

I FELT ALONE AND RIPE FOR PILLAGE,

AND I JUST DIDN’T WANT THAT.

‘I GOT SOME CHEESE.’ I SAID.

‘YOU WON’T MAKE IT TO CALIFORNIA​​ 

WITH JUST A LITTLE CHEESE,’ HE SAID. ​​ ‘YOU’LL STARVE.’

AT FIRST I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND.

WHAT WAS HE SAYING, EXACTLY?

I KEPT MY HAND ON THE PEPPER SPRAY.

‘BELIEVE ME,’ HE SAID. ​​ ‘I KNOW. ​​ LISTEN, I’M LIVING IN A CAR

BACK IN TOWN, AND EVERY DAY I WALK OUT TO THE MINE

TO SEE IF THEY NEED ME. ​​ TODAY THEY DON’T,

SO I WON’T BE NEEDING THIS LUNCH OF MINE.’

I BEGAN TO SAG WITH UNDERSTANDING.

IN HIS WORLD, WHATEVER YOU HAVE IN YOUR BAG

IS ALL YOU’VE GOT, AND HE KNEW ‘A LITTLE CHEESE’

WOULD NEVER GET ME TO CALIFORNIA.

‘I’M FINE, REALLY, I SAID. ​​ ‘I DON’T NEED YOUR LUNCH.’

HE SHOOK HIS HEAD AND OPENED HIS BOX.

IT WAS A TYPICAL CHURCH MEAL – A BOLOGNA SANDWICH,

AN APPLE, AND A BAG OF CHIPS –

AND I KEPT PROTESTING, BUT HE WOULDN’T HEAR OF IT.

I FINALLY TOOK HIS LUNCH​​ 

AND WATCHED HIM WALK TOWARD TOWN.

I LEARNED A LOT OF THINGS IN COLLEGE.

I LEARNED THINGS IN EUROPE AND IN MEXICO

AND IN MY HOMETOWN OF BELMONT, MASSACHUSETTS.

BUT I HAD TO STAND OUT THERE​​ 

ON THAT FROZEN PIECE OF INTERSTATE

TO LEARN GENEROSITY FROM A HOMELESS MAN.”

I’M IMPRESSED WITH SEBASTIAN JUNGER’S HONESTY,​​ 

HIS SELF-AWARENESS OF HOW HE RESPONDED

TO THIS HOMELESS PERSON, AND HIS WILLINGNESS

TO BE SELF-CRITICAL IN FRONT OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE

BY WRITING THIS FOR​​ NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC.

MAY WE LEARN FROM JUNGER’S EXAMPLE,

AND MAY GOD BLESS EACH OF US WITH THE SINCERE DESIRE

TO BECOME LESS OF A PHARISEE AND MORE LIKE JESUS.

AMEN.

​​