Are You Starting to act like a Pharisee?

Are You More Like the Pharisee or the Tax Collector?

There is an important truth to be revealed through this parable from the Book of Luke. It’s a lesson that should resonate with each of us because it is a direct warning for us to take heed to.

There are times in our Christian walk we might catch ourselves wandering into a position of self-righteousness. It can happen when we least expect it and suddenly we find ourselves casting judgment like the Pharisees. The mere fact that Jesus addressed the Pharisees more than once tells me how much He opposed their ways.

Have you every read the parable told by Jesus about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector? If you have read it, were you paying attention?

A Valuable Lesson

There are two men here who both visited the temple but their hearts were in completely different places. One was self-righteous and the other was humble before the Lord. How is that relevant to us today?

Understanding the Pharisee

In order to understand the meaning of this parable we must learn a little about who the Pharisees were. The Dictionary describes the Pharisees as:

• Members of an ancient Jewish sect, distinguished by strict observance of the traditional and written law, and commonly held to have pretensions to superior sanctity.
• A self-righteous person; a hypocrite.

The Bible goes a little more in-depth about who the Pharisees were and why we should be careful not to become like them. In Matthew 23, Jesus goes into much detail about the characteristics of a Pharisee. They were:

• Hypocrites – They taught the law but they do not obey it. They crushed people with unbearable religious demands but did not practice what they preached.
• Show-Offs – Everything they did was for show. They loved to sit in places of honor and receive respectful greetings. Titles were a big deal to them.
• Judgmental – They judged others harshly by shutting the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. They looked down upon others.
• Money Lovers – Money and gifts were more sacred than God himself. They had a love for money.
• Of Godly Appearance – Everything on the outside looked holy and righteous but the inside was filled with greed, impurity, and lawlessness.
• Deceptive – The truth became twisted by them so that they could scheme and trap others by their words or actions. They had bad motives.

“Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested.”
Matthew 22:15 NLT

The Tax Collector

We don’t know much about this man other than he was despised by his peers. His occupation was frowned upon and he was likened to that of a “sinner”. Tax Collectors were also viewed as cheaters, crooks, and traitors of the people. In short, they were the lowest of the low.

However, Jesus ate with the Tax Collectors and gave them opportunity to turn from their wayward ways. While He rejected their hypocrisy, Jesus still sat with them and shared truth with them.

Which brings us back to the temple and the manner in which these two men entered the same place of worship. What is the Lord trying to teach us through this parable?

Self-Righteousness is Deadly

If we are not careful to pay attention to the condition of our hearts they can become calloused and self-absorbed just like the Pharisees. Perhaps some of the characteristics above seemed a little too familiar to you. If that is the case you may need to do a heart check.

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7 NLT

We can show up to Church, do all the right things, and say everything we are supposed to but if our worship isn’t sincere then it is a farce. It is possible to be busy for the Lord and have a barren spiritual life. Period.

Are you exhibiting the characteristics of a Pharisee or walking in the same humility as the Tax-Collector? #saltandlightlinkup Share on X

Self-righteousness and religion usually go hand in hand. The Pharisees knew the word inside and out and yet they did not live what they taught. The same goes when a believer is a little too caught up in the rules of religion instead of a relationship with the Lord.

The awesome news is it isn’t too late. Even if you find yourself slipping into a stagnant place spiritually, you can turn it around today by falling on your knees and crying out to Jesus for forgiveness. He is faithful in turning it around.

“Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Matthew 16:6 NLT

The Humble Will Be Exalted

Today, I ask you the important question about where your heart stands.

You may choose to skip over this post completely, or you may recognize yourself as one who is in a self-righteous place.

Ask yourself, am I praying for change within myself or praying that others will change? Am I grateful in all that God has done for me is or am I grateful that I’m not like others? Are you praying that God will forgive you for the ways that you fall short or are you patting yourself on the back for all that you do for God?

Humility before the Lord will not return void. He is faithful to listen. He is faithful to forgive. In due time He promises to exalt those that humble themselves. That’s something to look forward to.

Today I’m featuring a transparent yet humble post about how Megan Elizabeth McFall allowed the Lord to transform her life and her thinking. It’s called “Behavior Management or Sanctification?“.

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