Pastor’s blog 10/20/10 The Pharisee and the tax collector
October 20, 2010
I have been thinking about the parable of the pharisee and the tax collector in Luke chapter 18. What a fascinating little story. Here we have the pharisee who we think of as a bad person today but in reality was a person who is looked up to by the jewish people congratulating himself on how devout a person he is. He is sooo glad he is better than all of the people of disreputable character like the tax collector who is standing near him in the temple. The tax collector as many of you may know is hated by the jewish people. He collected taxes by any means necessary often with the use of force and violence. Yet here he is affirmed by God because he realizes he is a sinful man. He knows that he falls short of being a good observant jew. Just a poor sinner in need of a savior. Interesting isn’t it that the esteemed religious leader falls short in God’s eyes yet the outcast tax collector does not. I guess that means that Jesus accepts us all, his only desire being that we realize we the sinful beings that we are need a savior’s love and forgiveness.
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