Luke

18:9-14

The teachings of Messiah, 9:51-19:44

5. The coming kingdom, 16:14-18:14

vi] The pharisee and the tax collector

Luke now presents Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the tax-collector, and in so doing, he gives us an insight into the nature of faith. In the parable, two men go up to the temple to pray, one affirms his goodness, the other recognises his sin. It is the man who humbles himself who "goes home justified."

A faith that perseveres in allegiance to Jesus is a faith that rests on the faithfulness of Jesus for God's eternal approval - it's JUST-IF-I'ED never sinned.

i] Context: See 16:14-31. The parable of The Pharisee and the Tax Collector is the last episode of six dealing with Jesus' teaching on The Coming Kingdom, 16:14-18:14. In 17:20-37, episodes which reveal, in the presence of the coming kingdom, the condemnation of the "righteous" (self-righteous) under the law, in contrast to the blessing of the humble (repentant) under grace. Having confirmed the reality of the Great Reversal, Jesus warns his disciples of the danger of trying to progress their holiness for blessing by obedience to the law, and then goes on to illustrate the one law that must be obeyed, namely, faith in Jesus. Having addressed the issue of his appearing / coming, Jesus reinforces the importance of persevering in faith, and now, in the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax-collector, Jesus reminds his disciples of the nature of this faith, - it is a faith that rests on the faithfulness of Christ for justification before God.

Bock and Nolland argue that this parable introduces the section, 18:9-30, calling "for humility that trusts God totally", Bock. Marshall agrees, although extending the section to 19:10, teaching "the qualifications required for entry to the kingdom", namely, "entry on the basis of divine grace and human faith." None-the-less, Marshall still links this parable with what goes before, since it answers the question "who will be found faithful when the Son of Man comes?"

ii] Structure: The parable of the pharisee and the tax collector:

ii] Interpretation:

iv] Synoptics:

v] Exposition: A simple exposition of this passage may be found in the linked pew-level Sermon Notes.

The parable of the Pharisee and the Tax-collector, v9-14a. i] Setting, v9: Luke notes that the parable is directed to people who are confident of their "own righteousness" and who therefore assume that they stand approved before God. The Great Reversal suggests otherwise!

de kai "-" - but/and, and = also. Transitional, indicating a step in the narrative. If Luke intends a close link with v1-8, particularly v8b, then "also", in the sense of "in addition to what he had said before", TH, is possible, but it may just serve as a simple adjunctive, "He also told the following parable", Moffatt.

proV + acc. "to" - toward. Used here to introduce an indirect object instead of a dative, "he then addressed this parable to ....", NAB, etc., but it may be used here to express reference / respect, "with reference to", or even opposition, "against the Pharisees", so Fitzmyer, ie., Jesus is still speaking with his disciples and asks them to note those who will not stand in the day of the coming Son man - they will not stand for it is "the one who is righteous through faith [who] will live." "He gave this parable also, in reference to certain people who felt secure in their own righteousness", Rieu.

touV pepoiqotaV (peiqw) perf. part. "who were confident" - [certain people] the ones having confidence, being persuaded, convinced, trusting. The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting "some"; "certain people who were confident ...." "Were complacently pleased with themselves over their moral performance", Peterson.

ef (epi) + dat. "in" - in [themselves]. Spatial; used with respect to inward reflection. "They trusted in themselves instead of God", Jeremias, Parables.

oJti "-" - that. Here introducing a dependent statement of perception expressing what they were confident of, namely of their righteousness" = moral performance. On the other hand, oJti here may introduce a causal clause, so Nolland; it was "because" of their moral performance that they felt secure in themselves and therefore did not need to rely, in faith, on the divine provision of mercy for righteousness.

dikaioi adj. "righteousness" - [they are] righteous. "Conduct that makes one acceptable to God", Marshall; "upright", Williams.

exouqenountaV (exouqenew) pres. part. "looked down on" - [and] despising, holding contempt for [others / the rest, he said this parable]. The participle is adjectival, attributive, as touV pepoiqotaV. Probably not "despised", NJB, or "utterly despised", Plummer, but "scorned", Williams; "looked with contempt", Barclay.

ii] The parable, v10-13: Two men went to the temple to pray, probably for private prayer. The Pharisee declared his confidence in his own righteousness. Like Paul, before he met Christ, he could say "as to righteousness under the law, blameless", Phil.3:6. This is a common attitude for those who have adopted a merit-based religion. Indeed, the Pharisee was a good man. In fact, as Jesus tells the story, he had exceeded the law's demands. The law certainly didn't require fasting twice a week, nor was a person expected to give a tithe of everything they purchased. The tax collector, on the other hand, was anything but good. As part of a graft-ridden occupation which collaborated with the Roman government, he was a despised member of Jewish society. Unlike the Pharisee, he proclaimed his sinfulness and asked that God protect him from the righteous judgement that was coming his way.

proseuxasqai (proseucomai) aor. inf. "to pray" - [two men went up into the temple] to pray. The infinitive is adverbial, expressing purpose; "in order to pray." Morning and afternoon (evening) prayer services were a regular feature of temple worship, although people could come and pray at any time.

telwnhV (hV ou) "tax collector" - [ one is the pharisee, and the other is] a tax collector. Predicate nominative of an assumed verb to-be. Tax collectors were hated in Jewish society. Here was a Jew working for the Roman government and feeding off his fellow Jews ("a graft ridden occupation", Ellis), as such, he was viewed as a traitor, a collaborator. Sometimes the sinner is contextualised today as a bent / corrupt politician, although a paedophile priest may be better.

staqeiV (iJsthmi) aor. pas. part. "stood up" - having taken his stand. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the main verb "prayed"; "stood up and prayed", as NIV. The expression simply implies the positioning of oneself to make an important statement. The Pharisee may have made the statement for all to hear, but probably not, rather he settles himself so that he can address God and does this in the usual standing position, possibly with arms outstretched and quietly speaking to God. Today, a person might kneel down to address God. The stance of the Pharisee is not necessarily a pose, "The Pharisee posed and prayed like this", Peterson; "The Pharisee stood over by himself and prayed", CEV.

proshuceto (proseucomai) imperf. "prayed" - [the pharisee] was praying [these things]. The imperfect is possible inceptive, "began to pray."

proV + acc. "about / by" - toward [himself]. The NIV has taken the preposition as adverbial, reference / respect, modifying proshuceto, "was praying"; "was praying about himself", "concerning himself", Nolland. Possibly "toward himself" = "privately." The TNIV opts for a spatial sense with the prepositional phrase modifying staqeiV, "having stood". Possibly just "stood to pray" = an Aramaic ethic dative, Manson, Sayings, so "said his prayers", Moffatt.

oJ qeoV "God" - god. Nominative of address, with the force of a vocative.

eucaristw (eucaristew) pres. "I thank" - i give thanks. Nolland notes that this prayer can be seen to express "thankful joy." In a different context, we have here "the ideal of a pious man." So, what has this Pharisee done wrong? Probably nothing much really; he is a good moral man. There is nothing wrong being thankful for our advantages before God, but if we leave it at that, we face disaster, for our goodness, even if we are really really good, cannot secure God's approval.

soi dat. pro. "you" - to you. Dative of direct object after the verb "I give thanks."

oJti "that" - that. Possibly introducing a causal clause, "because", but better taken to introduce a dependent statement of indirect speech expressing the content of the prayer.

w{sper "like" - [i am not] like. Comparative.

oiJ loipoi adj. "other [men]" - the rest [of men are]. Nominative subject of an assumed verb to-be, limited by the partitive genitive "of men." Expressing exclusivity; "everyone else", NJB.

arpageV (ax agoV) "robbers" - swindlers. These immoral individuals stand in apposition to "the rest." "Extortionist".

adikoi adj. "evildoers" - unjust, unrighteous. Used of a sinner in general.

moicoi (oV) "adulterers" - adulterers. Possibly more general, "immoral".

kai "[or] even" - [or] and = even. Ascensive. Identifying the tax-collector as of "the same class as the other people named", TH. "Or, for that matter", Manson, Sayings.

wJV "as" - as, like [this tax collector]. Here as a comparative. The use of the demonstrative pronoun, "this", in this context, may be a put-down.

nhsteuw pres. "I fast" - i fast. The present tense, being durative, may be used to express ongoing fasting, although Thompson classifies it as a customary present. "Twice a week" is beyond what the law requires.

tou sabbatou (on) "[twice] a week" - [twice] of the week. The genitive may be classified as adjectival, partitive, or better, adverbial, temporal, so Culy, Thompson, or even as a distributive genitive, so Bock.

panta adj. acc. "all" - [i tithe] all things. The adjective serves as a substantive, "everything", accusative direct object of the verb "to tithe", but possibly adverbial, accusative of reference / respect. He was rigorous in his tithing.

ktwmai (ktaomai) pres. "I get" - [as much as] i acquire. Tithing a purchase is not required because the tithe is already paid when the money for the purchase is gained in the first place (although not in a modern taxation system - these days we get caught both ends!!!!), yet this man went beyond the requirements of the law and "tithed everything that came into his possession", Stein.

oJ de "but" - but/and the [tax collector]. Transitional, indicating a change in subject from the Pharisee to the tax-collector.

eJstwV (iJsthmi) perf. part. "stood [at a distance]" - having stood [far off]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the negated main verb "to be willing"; "the tax collector stood far away and would not lift even his eyes to heaven", Moffatt, Standing either away from the people, or in the outer court of the temple.

ouk ... oude "[he would] not even" - [was] not [willing] not. Double negative emphasising his bowed state in deference toward God, so expressing his unworthiness before God.

eparai (epairw) aor. inf. "look up" - to lift up [the = his eyes into heaven]. The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the negated verb "was not willing." "Not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven", NJB.

all (alla) "but" - but. Strong adversative standing in a counterpoint construction; "not ....., but ......"

etupten (tuptw) imperf. "beat [his breast]" - was beating, striking [the chest of him]. The imperfect is possibly iterative expressing repeated action, "kept on beating his breast."

legwn (legw) pres. part. "and said" - saying. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to beat.

iJlasqhti (iJlaskomai) aor. pas. imp. "have mercy" - [god] pardon, propitiate, expiate. The sense here, particularly in the passive voice, is "pardon / forgive", although "propitiate / mollify", or at least "expiate / make amends", cf., Ex.32:14, is also possible. It's hard to ignore the Old Testament atonement association of this word, particularly the use of the verb for the turning aside of God's wrath from the sinner to the sacrifice, or at least, the providing of a sacrifice that can make amends for the sinner, cf. Ps.24:11, 64:3, 77:38, 78:9; note also NT use of the verb and noun: Rom.3:25, Heb. 2:7, 1Jn.2:2, 4:10. The setting of the story, namely the temple, implies an atoning sense. That such a theologically charged word is used in an illustrative story is worthy of note. Why not just the usual word for "have mercy"?

So, are we to agree with Bock who suggests that the tax collector "asks God to show mercy through atoning forgiveness"? Given the root meaning of the Hebrew equivalent, "to cover", we can at least say that he "sought God's mercy in order to have his sins covered and the divine wrath removed from him", Stein, see also Johnson.

It seems likely that the choice of this word gives us a clue into the substance of the mustard-seed faith that enables us to stand when the Son of Man comes: it is a faith in Jesus, particularly his faithfulness on our behalf as an atoning sacrifice, which sacrifice justifies. A broken sinner, standing in the temple, might well pray; "O God, on my behalf, unworthy sinner that I am, shower me with your eternal mercy, turn aside your vengeance." "Turn your wrath from me", HCSB.

moi dat. "on me" - to me. The passive voice of the verb "to pardon" takes a dative of interest, advantage; "for my advantage"

tw/ aJmartwlw/ (oV) dat. "a sinner" - the sinner. Dative in apposition to "me". Possibly "have mercy on me for my sins, Moffatt, but more likely "have mercy on me the sinner", Plummer, the definite article identifying this particular sinner. "The sinner that I am", Rieu.

The punch-line, v14a: Jesus now draws out an application from the parable. The Pharisee had justified himself, in the sense of proclaiming his own righteousness. The tax collector proclaimed his loss and, relying on God's mercy, asked God to turn aside his righteous anger. In so doing, says Jesus, the sinner was justified, that is, he was set-right before God, and this as a free gift of God's kindness. Thus, possessing a righteousness from God, he found himself included with God's people and saved from judgement. The instrument by which he received this gift was faith. Although faith is not mentioned, the sinner clearly relied on God when, in his prayer, he asked God to act in mercy toward him; Like Noah he became an "heir of the righteousness that comes by faith", Heb.11:7, and thus, he "went home justified before God."

uJmin "[I tell] you" - [i say] to you. Dative of indirect object. Serving to emphasise what follows; "I assure you", Phillips.

ouJtoV "this man" - this one. The demonstrative pronoun serves as a substantive, nominative subject of the verb "to go down." Referring to the tax collector. Its use with another demonstrative pronoun, ekeinon, "that one", serves to emphasise contrast.

par (para) + acc. "rather than [the other]" - than [the other]. This preposition sometimes establishes a comparison, "in comparison to, more than." Plummer argues that this is the case here, ie., the sinner went home more justified than the righteous man. Yet, it is more likely expressing a contrast, as NIV; "rather than the other."

dedikaiwmenoV (dikaiow) perf. pas. part. "justified before God" - [went down into the house of him] having been justified. The participle is adverbial, possibly causal, "because he was justified", but definitely not comparative, "more justified than the other", Wallace. It is probably modal, expressing the manner of his going; "he went down in a state of being justified", Evans. The passive is probably theological, identifying God as the one who justifies. The perfect tense indicates a completed and ongoing state.

As with iJlasqhti, "propitiate / expiate", the verb dikaiow, "to justify", is also theologically charged; a word used only here in the gospels. It's not hard to imagine that this gospel story could well have shaped Paul's understanding of justification by grace through faith; it could even have triggered his Lutheran / Wesleyan experience on the Damascus road. At ground level, "justified" means "forgiven." Yet, there is more to the word, this tax collector was declared right before God, approved in God's sight, judged right / covenant compliant. God considered him eternally righteous / holy in his sight, even though he was anything but a moral man. He asked God to cover / atone for his sins, and he did. "It was he, rather than the other, who returned to his home, a man again at rights with God", Cassirer. Although a contentious theological issue, the stronger sense "made righteous", Berkeley, should not be easily discarded, given that what God declares so is so. "Set right with God" may best express the intended sense of "justified".

iii] Saying, v14b: With a proverbial saying of Jesus, Luke draws a spiritual lesson from the parable: "self-exaltation will result in abasement, and self-abasement in exaltation", Evans. Learn the lesson, good people can end up going to hell and bad people to heaven - such is the Great Reversal. So, the righteous (self-righteous) who think they stand need to beware lest they fall, for on the day of judgement, the day of vindication, they may be the ones condemned, for only the humble / repentant will stand in that terrible day.

Although divine reversal seems unreasonable, it rests on the holiness of God, a holiness which is realised eschatologically in the exaltation of the spiritually humble and the condemnation of the spiritually proud. The spiritually proud, those who rely on their own righteousness, will not stand in the day of the coming Son of Man. Those who do stand in that day are those who are set-right before God, those who are made / declared covenant compliant, as an act of divine mercy in recognition of their repentance, and their faith in the faithfulness of Christ.

oJti "for" - because. Introducing a causal clause explaining why the sinner went home justified.

oJ uJywn (uJyow) part. "[everyone] who exalts" - [all] the one lifting up. If we treat the adjective "all" as a substantive, "everyone", then the participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting "everyone"; "everyone who exalts himself." Here, in the sense of lifted up to a high station before God, "exalting".

tapeinwqhsetai (tapeinow) fut. pas. "will be humbled" - will be levelled = humbled. Theological passive, the agent of the action being God. The "proud", or more particularly the "self-righteous", will be humiliated in the coming day of judgment.

oJ .. tapeinwn (tapeinow) pres. part. "those who humble [themselves]" - [but/and] the one humbling [himself]. The participle serves as a substantive, nominative subject of the verb "to be exalted."

uJywqhsetai (uJyow) fut. pas. "will be exalted" - will be lifted up, exalted. "Exalted" as opposed to abased, and this at the final judgment in the coming / revealing of the Son of Man.

Luke Introduction

Exposition

Exegetical Commentaries

lectionarystudies.com