How to Pray Like a Sinner
on subduing your inner Pharisee
Luke 18:9-14
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 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. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other, for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
In today’s Gospel reading Jesus tells a parable about two men who went up to the Temple to pray. Since it is a parable, we know that it will be an instructional story – a story with a lesson. One of the men is a Pharisee. Now we all know how many bad things that Jesus has to say about the Pharisees, but it may be helpful to pause a moment here and think about how the DISCIPLES would have heard this back in the first century. If they heard a story about a Pharisee and a tax collector – they are going to assume that the Pharisee is the good guy and the tax collector is the bad guy.
Because the Pharisees were extraordinary paragons of piety in the first century. No one questioned the righteousness of a Pharisee. They kept the Law - and they made sure everyone knew it. They were the do-gooders of Jesus’ time - if anyone were able to make it to heaven on their own – it would be these guys!
On the other hand, tax collectors were often cited as examples of sinners. They were Jews who worked for the occupying Romans, so they were considered traitors by some of their countrymen. They weren’t paid any wages by the Romans either, so they lived off the extra taxes they collected from the Jews – often abusing the system to line their pockets.
When reading a parable, it is helpful to place yourself within each of the characters, to inhabit their skin a little to see what each one might have to teach you. It is also somewhat revealing, I think, to see where your natural affinities lie but after that read the story again from another perspective and consider how they might be feeling.
This story of two prayers offered and only one accepted brings to my mind the story of the offerings of Cain and Abel in Genesis. But while that story really leaves us NO CLUE why Cain’s offering was rejected, this story makes it very clear that it was the sinner’s humility that made all the difference. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).
Humility is the mark of a sinner. The tax collector knows he’s corrupt and isn’t afraid to admit it.
But this Pharisee finds out that it is much more difficult to confess one’s sins than it is to confess one’s righteousness. His self-examination is only skin deep, like his prayers. His wounds, hidden by his good works, remain UNREVEALED and thus, untouched by God’s grace.
So, the Pharisee, unable to confess his sickness to the Great Physician, leaves uncured.
I have great empathy for this Pharisee because I can see myself there. In fact, I bet we all have a lot more in common with the Pharisee than the tax collector.
And I don’t know about you, but when I read this parable I feel a little sorry for the Pharisee since he’s such a great guy and it’s obvious he doesn’t know what he’s doing wrong, but what I REALLY want to know is how can I PRAY like this tax collector so that I might walk away JUSTIFIED in the sight of God.
I want to talk a little about this idea of justification since that term is just thrown out there like everyone knows what it means. Justification is a theological term. It basically means forgiveness. But of course, it is more complicated than that. When you are justified you are “made right” before God. We are guilty, we are all sinners, but God pardons us, not because we deserve it but because God is merciful.
Justification is one part of the salvation that Jesus wrought on the cross. We are clothed in the righteousness of Christ; it is not a garment of our own making but one holy gift we have received from God through Jesus Christ.
Now continuing this courtroom metaphor, we are pardoned but only if we plead guilty. There is no pardon granted if you plead not guilty. You must first plead guilty; you must confess your sins in order to be justified.
Let us examine the prayer of the Pharisee. He says, “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.” I am not hearing any confessions there; I don’t hear an admission of guilt. Instead of standing before God asking to be “made right” this Pharisee tells God all the ways in which he has already made HIMSELF righteous.
I’m sorry, but this is not the way to confess your sins before God! You must express TRUE CONTRITION. You must feel really sorry for what you have done. If you are merely saying, Lord, forgive me, I have done some things wrong, but your prayers are not coming from your heart – you are not really confessing.
In contrast to this, we see that the tax collector is in true anguish. He is beating his breast, he can’t even look toward heaven, he’s on his knees - he’s very humble, he feels he is not worthy. THIS is the attitude we need to have when we are confessing.
I’m sure you have confessed your sin to God, but have you poured out the entire contents of your heart on the altar before God as a libation (a sacrifice)? Have you beaten your breast in consternation, knowing in your heart of hearts that you don’t even DESERVE forgiveness? Have you cried out in anguish because you know that you can’t even blame anyone else because YOU are the source of your own misery?
If you haven’t felt any of this, you haven’t even begun to crack open your heart in confession. For the only way you can reveal your sin/sickness is by ruthless self-examination, every day if possible.
Me, being who I am, an introspective person by nature, have engaged in this discipline of self-examination since I was a young girl. Some seasons more intensely than others. But after almost 40 years I think I’m FINALLY beginning to make progress!
With God’s help, of course! THAT’S what makes all the difference. When we stop trying to justify ourselves – when we allow God to work in our souls - we start to move from Pharisee to sinner.
And that may SOUND like a downgrade, but remember in the Kingdom of Heaven, those who exalt themselves will be humbled, but those who humble themselves will be exalted (vs. 14).
Oh, we can climb to the top of the heap here on earth, but there’s no way to catapult ourselves all the way to heaven. We could work all the day long and expend every ounce of our energy towards doing good but we are no more going to make it to heaven under our own steam than we are going to be able to jump to the moon.
That’s just the way it is – in heaven it will be the least among you who will be the greatest (Luke 9:48).
I have had this recurrent vision of wheat on the threshing floor – it’s plagued me for weeks. The wheat trampled underfoot, the dried-out husks being broken open to release the good grain. This is the process, the wheat ears are beaten against the floor, the ripe heads crushed, broken open to free the seeds. Eventually this violent action causes the kernels of grain to be released and fall to the floor coming to rest while the remnants of their former prison covers them. A slight breeze is all that is needed to carry away all that useless chaff into the burning flames.
We can either crack ourselves open in confession or we will find ourselves on the threshing floor being trampled underfoot by life.
The ruthless action of confession helps us shed the husk of our False Self or ego (chaff). It must be removed and burned if we are ever going to come face to face with our True Self, who God created us to be.
Every time I participate in confession I grow a little more. I feel a little lighter. If I can crack open my heart just a sliver, in invitation, God will break through my tough outer husk with a little beam of light (truth) and break me open. Each time, I shed another layer, molting like a cicada until I reach full maturity. The old dead shell that imprisoned me falls to the floor with the rest of the chaff. It wasn’t EVER truly part of me, but only a prison wall holding me back from becoming all that God intends for me.
The Pharisee thought to justify himself. He thought, I’m good enough the way I am because I am way better than most others! And we all do that - to make ourselves feel better. Our confession may sound something like: “O Lord please forgive me, but everyone else is doing it.” Or “God, I know I am a sinner, but at least I’m not as bad as that guy!” That way of thinking leads you AWAY from the path of righteousness.
Because God isn’t comparing you to other humans, but to the PERFECTION of Christ and there’s not one of us that measures up to that standard!
We must stand before God completely laid bare and present ourselves for examination. No clothes, no make-up, no covering up, no excuses, no justifying. Just our flawed self - naked before God.
And actually, you are not confessing your sin to God, but to YOURSELF. God already knows! God knows all about it! God knows everything you’ve ever done! But YOU have to admit it to YOURSELF. You have to open your eyes to the truth of yourself. So that you can look at your image reflected in the mirror of perfection and SEE YOUR UNWORTHINESS.
And what will happen if you go through this painful humiliating experience? You will be JUSTIFIED – made right before God. We know that God is merciful and will not turn away from a humble heart.
As it is written: “if we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Confession automatically brings with it an assurance of pardon. In our liturgy we always follow confession with assurance. And you can do that at home too – to remind yourself of this truth. You can say “In the name of Jesus Christ you are forgiven” just like we do in our communion liturgy. Say it out loud, it has more impact that way. Say it until you truly believe it.
And then go forth changed, a beloved child of God, made righteous through God’s mercy revealed to us in the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Prayer
Loving and Merciful God – receive our confession today and every day, for it is EVERY DAY that we fall short of the glory that God intends for us. We invite you to search our hearts for hidden errors, all those things we wish would never see the light of day. Open us up and cleanse our souls, we beg you. Reveal to us our sin, let us see its darkness and let it be vanquished by your Light. Lead us to wholeness and healing as we confront our failings. Give us the courage to continually open our hearts to you, lest we be caught unawares at the time of judgement. Give us the comfort of your merciful love and let it be incentive enough for full disclosure. We pray this in the complete assurance of our high priest Jesus Christ. AMEN