The Quiet Onez

Exploring the story of The Pharisee and the Tax Collector. Dive into how our identity and the source of confidence in ourselves is our downfall. As well as how Christian life solves this predicament.

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed[a] thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 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!’ 14 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.”

Luke 18:9-14

I’ve read this passage several times in my life, and I always knew that the Pharisee was clearly in the wrong. I always thought, “how could the Pharisee be so naive as to believe he was better than someone else?”

However, this time around, I realized something important. What the Pharisee was doing to the tax collector, I was actually doing to the Pharisee.

I might as well have said, “Thank you God that I’m not like the Pharisee. At least I know who I am before you, a sinner.”

While this may be true, to posture in the way that I do makes me no better. I believe the right response to this passage is to clearly acknowledge that whether we’re a Pharisee or a tax collector, coming before God and knowing that our true source of confidence is in Jesus is what it’s all about.

I think this sentiment of being “not like others” hold truth in other ways as well. For instance, I often times believe I’m different because I could engage in reflection of who I am. While not always the case, I often feel more in touch with my emotions and give deeper insight about things.

My “difference” means nothing if I don’t allow Christ to be the center of my life. We all have a certain “thing” about us that we want to hold over others in this life because it gives us a source of significance.

What is Christianity?

Christian life is placing our confidence in Jesus.

This means that we don’t lean on ourselves for the confidence in who we are as people. In other words, we were born into this life with nothing. We were raised by people who loved us. And there’s a short period of life we have before we die.

The values and morals were set in place for us, but the answers of who we truly are rely on the foundations we find in the Bible, given to us by God, shown through the person of Jesus.

I like to think of it like trusting our parents when we were younger. To those with a healthy relationship with their mom or dad, they were there for us to guide and nurture us. Whatever they did for the family, they did for us.

Imagine going through your childhood placing confidence in ourselves rather than in your parents. Regardless of who we placed our confidence in, our parents are always there.

Additionally, when we place our confidence in God, we know the reality of life, that is, God provides.