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LESSON #66
THE PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN (LUK 18:9-14)
- MEMORY VERSE: PRO 15:33
- READ LUK 18:9-14
- BACKGROUND:
- REMEMBER THAT THE PHARISEES WERE A RELIGIOUS PARTY BELIEVING IN A STRICT AND FORMAL ADHERENCE TO THE LETTER OF THE MOSAIC LAW AND ALL THE MAN-MADE ADDITIONS TO IT. THEY WERE THE RELIGIOUS POWER OF THE TIME AND SUPPORTED BY A MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE.
- TRADITION SAYS THAT PHARISEES THANKED GOD FOR THREE THINGS EVERY DAY. (VS. 11, “NOT AS OTHERS”).
- HE THANKED GOD THAT HE WAS NOT BORN A GENTILE, THAT HE WAS NOT BORN AN ORDINARY ROMAN CITIZEN, AND THAT HE WAS NOT BORN A WOMAN.
- A PUBLICAN WAS A RENEGADE JEW WHO WORKED AS AN UNDER-COLLECTOR OF ROMAN TAXES. HE WAS UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE TAX COLLECTORS. AMONG THE JEWISH POPULATION, HE WAS CONSIDERED A TRAITOR OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY BECAUSE HE COLLABORATED WITH THE ROMANS. HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER THE TEMPLE OR THE SYNAGOGUE, AND HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO GIVE TESTIMONY IN A COURT OF LAW.
- TO WHOM IS THE PARABLE SPOKEN?
- JESUS SPOKE THIS PARABLE TO PEOPLE WHO TRUSTED IN THEMSELVES.
- WHO WERE THOSE WHO “TRUSTED IN THEMSELVES” IN VERSE 9?
- SPECIFICALLY, JESUS IS SPEAKING TO THE SELF-RIGHTEOUS PHARISEES.
- SPECIFICALLY JESUS IS SPEAKING TO PEOPLE WHO DESPISED OTHER PEOPLE (9).
- THE WORD, DESPISED, MEANS = RELIGIOUS EGOTISM THAT WOULD “COUNT SOMEONE ELSE AS NOTHING”.
- READ ROM 12:3
- A CONTRAST COMPARING THE ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS OF THE TWO MEN:
| THE PHARISEE | THE PUBLICAN |
| HE REPRESENTS THE SELF-RIGHTEOUS LAW KEEPER | HE REPRESENTS THE CONDEMNED LAW BREAKER |
| HE WAS EQUALLY A SINNER AT FIRST | HE WAS EQUALLY A SINNER AT FIRST |
| REGARDING THE OUTWARD FORM OF SIN: HE MAINTAINED THE FORM OF GODLINESS BUT HE DENIED THE INWARD POWER OF IT. |
REGARDING THE OUTWARD FORM OF SIN: HE DENIED BOTH THE FORM AND POWER OF GODLINESS. |
| A HYPOCRITE | A WORLDLY PERSON |
| HE THOUGHT OF HIMSELF AS ONLY GOOD | HE THOUGHT OF HIMSELF AS ONLY EVIL |
| HE FLATTERED HIMSELF WITH SELF-COMMENDATION | HE WAS HONEST WITH HIMSELF WITH SELF-CONDEMNATION |
| HE STOOD BY HIMSELF BECAUSE HE THOUGHT OTHERS WERE NOT WORTHY TO STAND WITH HIM | HE STOOD BY HIMSELF BECAUSE HE KNEW HE WAS NOT WORTHY TO STAND WITH OTHERS |
| HE DID NOT PRAY TO GOD BUT PRAYED TO HIMSELF | HE PRAYED TO GOD |
| HE “STOOD” (11) WHICH MEANS HE ASSUMED AN OSTENTATIOUS POSITION OF SELF-SATISFACTION AND SECURITY | “STANDING” (13) MEANS HE STOOD WITH A BOWED HEAD AND A SORROWFUL COUNTENANCE |
| HE USED 34 WORDS OF WHICH 5 OF THEM WERE “I” | HE USED 7 WORDS |
| HE SPOKE NO WORDS OF THANKSGIVING, OR PRAISE, OR REPENTANE | HE SPOKE OF REPENTANCE |
| HE ASKED FOR NOTHING, HE CONFESSED NOTHING, AND HE RECEIVED NOTHING | HE ASKED FOR FORGIVENESS AND HE RECEIVED IT |
| HE COMPARED HIS PERFECTIONS WITH IMAGINED IMPERFECTIONS OF HIS FELLOW MAN | HE COMPARED HIS IMPERFECTIONS WITH A HOLY GOD. |
| HE WENT HOME JUSTIFIED IN HIS OWN EYES | HE WENT HOME JUSTIFIED IN GODS EYES |
- OTHER OBSERVATIONS:
- THE PHARISEE MENTIONS THREE KINDS OF WICKED PEOPLE: THE EXTORTIONER, THE UNJUST, THE ADULTERER.
- THE PUBLICAN MAY HAVE BEEN GUILTY OF ALL THREE.
- THE PHARISEE MENTIONED THAT HE FASTED TWICE A WEEK.
- ONCE A WEEK WAS THE REQUIREMENT OF THE MOSAIC LAW AND ON THE NATIONAL DAY OF ATONEMENT. (LEV 16:29 NUM 29:7)
- THE PHARISEE BRAGGED THAT HE TITHED ON ALL THAT HE POSSESSED.
- THE MOSAIC LAW REQUIRED THE TITHE ON GRAINS AND A PERSONS ANNUAL INCREASE. THERE WAS NO TITHE ON POSSESSIONS. (GEN 28:22 DEU 14:22 LEV 27:30)
- WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?
- IN THIS PARABLE CHRIST CONDEMNS TWO VERY COMMON SINS:
- THE SIN OF SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS AN IMPROPER CONFIDENCE IN ONESELF.
- THE SIN OF PRIDE WHICH COMES FROM AN IMPROPER CONFIDENCE IN ONESELF.
- IN THIS PARABLE CHRIST COMMENDS THREE VERY IMPORTANT ATTITUDES:
- A HUMILITY THAT CAUSES ONE TO COME TO GOD HONESTLY.
- A REPENTANT ATTITUDE THAT GOD HONORS WITH JUSTIFICATION.
- A FAITH OR TRUST IN GOD THAT GOD HONORS. (HEB 11:6)
- APPLICATION:
- HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE A PHARISEE OR A PUBLICAN?
- THERE IS ONE EASY TEST:
- READ ROM 12:3
- ARE YOU LOOKING AT PEOPLE, OR ARE YOU LOOKING AT GOD?
- IF YOU COMPARE YOURSELF WITH OTHER PEOPLE, YOU EITHER COME UP SHORT AND FEEL INADEQUATE, OR IN PRIDE YOU PLACE YOURSELF ABOVE OTHERS AND CONDEMN THEM.
- IF YOU COMPARE YOURSELF TO GOD, YOU SEE YOUR NEED OF REPENTANCE. THEN GOD WILL EXALT YOU IN JESUS CHRIST FOR YOUR HUMILITY ACCORDING TO THE KINGDOM PRINCIPLE IN VERSE 14.
- WHAT IS THE KINGDOM PRINCIPLE IN VERSE 14?
- GOD HUMBLES THE PROUD AND EXALTS THE HUMBLE.
HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE POUNDS (LUK 19:11-27)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
- APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN (LUK 18:9-14)
- DO YOU HABITUALY COMPARE YOURSELF WITH OTHER PEOPLE OR WITH GOD?
- WHAT CHANGES DO YOU NEED TO MAKE IN YOUR ATTITUDES TOWARD OTHER PEOPLE AND TOWARD YOURSELF?
- OF WHAT SINS YOU NEED TO REPENT? (IF THE LORD BRINGS ANY SINS TO MIND, REPENT OF THEM IN PRAYER, AND ASK FORGIVENESS. THEN, THANK GOD BECAUSE HE HAS FORGIVEN YOU. (1JOH 1:9)
- PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE POUNDS (LUK 19:11-27)
- READ LUK 19:1-27 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.
- HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
- ARCHELAUS, WHOSE PALACE WAS AT JERICHO, WENT TO ROME AND LEFT THE INTERESTS OF HIS LITTLE KINGDOM IN THE HANDS OF HIS SERVANTS. WHILE HE WAS ABSENT, A GROUP OF 50 JEWS STRONGLY PROTESTED HIS KINGSHIP. THEY WERE SO SUCCESSFUL THAT ARCHELAUS NEVER RECEIVED THE TITLE OF KING OF JUDEA FROM ROME.
- TO WHOM IS THE PARABLE SPOKEN?
- FOR WHAT REASON DID JESUS SPEAK THE PARABLE? (11)
- WHO DOES THE CERTAIN NOBLEMAN REPRESENT? (12)
- WHAT DOES THE “FAR COUNTRY” REPRESENT?
- WHO DO THE TEN SERVANTS REPRESENT?
- SINCE ALL SERVANTS RECEIVE THE SAME AMOUNT, WHAT DOES 1 POUND REPRESENT?
- WHO DO THE CITIZENS REPRESENT? (14)
- CONSIDERING THE MEANING OF 1 POUND, HOW SHOULD A CHRISTIAN GAIN BY TRADING IT? (15)
- WHAT DOES “AUTHORITY OVER CITIES” REPRESENT?
- HOW CAN A CHRISTIAN HIDE HIS POUND IN A NAPKIN?
- WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?
- MEMORY VERSE: LUK 19:26 (A KINGDOM PRINCIPLE)
