He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
We know right away that the Pharisee represented those who “trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt.” I’ve argued elsewhere that the defensive Reformed habit of imputing a doctrine of meritorious works righteousness into the phrase “trusted in themselves” is unwarranted. The most obvious meaning in context is that these people were sure their way was right and the didn’t need to listen to Jesus’ critique.
Also, treating others with contempt is the whole point of the parable. It isn’t a sin that just happens to accrue to people who believe they can and must be saved by their allegedly meritorious good deeds.
The Pharisee does five things:
- boasts before God in his allegedly good works
- boast before the public, including the tax collector
- attack the tax collector in a place and time devoted to prayer
- recite that he fasts twice a week
- recite that he tithes all his acquisitions
As I see it, 1) might be indifferent in itself. David seems to do it and Paul speaks of boasting in the Lord. On the other hand, it doesn’t seem to be the attitude recommended by the tax collector. What we need is more context…
2) is a lot more questionable and 3) is just wrong and sinful. Period. The Pharisee would be right to thank God for his righteousness and for not being led into the sins that he sees in others. But his righteousness is actually sinful (including his very prayer) and it was no sin to be a tax collector or, for that matter, a non-Pharisee.
4) is a form of righteousness Jesus only allowed by concession as long as it was kept secret. The Pharisee is hardly keeping it secret by praying out loud and, when he was actually fasting, it is doubtful he kept it secret the way Jesus demanded.
5) is just wrong. The Pharisee tithes not just his increase. But all his purchases. The law doesn’t demand this and, frankly, only people with economic means could ever adopt this practice. It would be an example of how the Pharisees “righteousness” was really a caste system. From the extra-biblical evidence, the fear was owning something that hadn’t been tithed by the previous owner. This was also a barrier to table fellowship since it mean that one must not eat untithed food.
It seems to me that Jesus was condemning the Pharisaical ethic as one by which a group exalted themselves over another group. This self-exaltation was doomed, while those who showed humility were righteous before God.
Some Texts to Consider
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation (from Romans 5).
Obviously boasting can be wrong and the Pharisee’s boasting is wrong. So is the boast of the “teacher of the law” in Romans 2. But the same word is used by Paul in Romans 5 and it bothers me that the ESV changes the word to “rejoice” in this passage.
Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” (from Luke 3).
John the Baptist knows nothing about being grateful that one is not a tax collector. He doesn’t condemn their occupation. He tells them to repent of all corruption and resist the temptation to it to which their occupations exposed them.
Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven…. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you…
And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (from Matthew 6).
Here we see how much Jesus thinks the Pharisee’s behavior in praying and fasting is all directly sinful to God. He isn’t supposed to be praying loud to be heard. He isn’t supposed to be extolling his own tithing to help (in part, presumably) the needy. He isn’t supposed to be advertising his fasting. By doing so he is laying up the earthly treasure of human praise.
I do not receive glory from people. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? (from John 5)
Jesus indicts the Pharisees for performing for one another to be praised as righteous by one another. This damning practice can be practiced by Calvinists as well as Arminians.
The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee” (from John 7).
I think this demonstrates how people would be confident of themselves and, in the same act, treat others with contempt.
A Different Challenge
Finally, just a few verses later we see Jesus talking about the real rules of God. When he is asked a question about inheriting life, Jesus says nothing about fasting or tithing:
And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.
The ruler, too, has to repent and believe in Jesus. For that is what Jesus is calling the ruler to do when he tells him to sell all and follow him. As one witness put it:
When Christ enjoins upon the young man the duty of following him (Mt. 19:23), he does not give a counsel, but a command to all in common because no one can have a hope of salvation unless he follows Christ (2 Pet. 2:21), although from a particular cause it is peculiarly adapted to him. –Francis Turretin (Institutes of Elenctic Theology, Vol 2, p. 32; 11.4.11)
Nevertheless, the ruler’s problem was not the same as that of the Pharisee in the parable and Jesus does not treat him the same, as we see more clearly in Mark 10:
You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”