Is God only interested in religious or good people? Do you have to be religious to please God? In this episode, Casey and Amy explore how Jesus inverts our expectations about who may come to Him.

This is the second episode in the Stories of Hope Series.

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Text: Luke 18:9-14 | The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

The Knowledge Gap:

Pharisees - 1st Century groups in Israel concerned with keeping ritual purity and protecting the Law of Moses. They looked for a coming “messiah” who would free them from foreign oppression. 

Tax collectors - The Romans employed locals to collect tribute and allowed them to overcharge. Many became rich off of their kinsmen; regarded as blood traitors; often disowned and shunned. 

God in the Bible - perfectly eternal, self-sufficient, tri-person Creator God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, together as one; never lonely. God delights in personal relationships with humans based on His merciful love. We see God’s mercy in the Bible culminating in the sacrifice and power of Jesus’ death and resurrection. If we receive the Son, he saves us and adopts us as children of God (John 1:12). 

Q1 What does this passage say about Jesus/God?

Illustrates Jesus’ teaching “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).

God is not Karma (reaping only what we sow) or Fate (once on a path, we cannot leave it). He is a Person who shows mercy to a humbled tax collector, while keeping distant from the proud Pharisee.

Q2 Is there an example here to follow or to avoid?

The marginalized are lifted up and forgiven, because they show humility and recognize their spiritual poverty before God. (Also see episode “Hope for the Rejected:” Mary and Simon (Luke 7:36-50)

Q3 Is there a promise in this passage (stated or fulfilled)?

“Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” 

Christians forget humility is not “thinking less of ourselves; it is thinking of yourself less” (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity). We ask people to look at us and our goodness, instead of God and his goodness. We don’t have to feel like an imposter. The One who made us shows us our true self in Him.

Q4 Is there an instruction to follow?

Jesus’ story reflects Old Testament teachings to “seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.” (Micah 6:6-8) 

We start in brokenness, but God made a way for reconciliation. We are reconciled to God by humbling ourselves (Ephesians 1 and 2). When we realize our spiritual reality, we will feel small and inadequate. In that moment we can turn to God. We walk away from “grown-up” pretensions and come to Jesus like a carefree child (who have no problem receiving free gifts) (Matthew 19:14).

Q5 What do we learn about humanity?

Whether we identify with the Pharisee or the tax collector, both need to get right with God. The flaw is in our heart, and God promises a heart change (Ezekiel 11:19). Our actions and desires then flow from God's abundance, rather than our neediness or scarcity.

We detrimentally cherry-pick parts of the Bible. The Pharisees had the Bible, but emphasized some parts and ignored others to consolidate power. (After Jesus’ resurrection, many Pharisees saw the truth of Jesus in Scripture and believed.)

Q6 Who would you share this story with?

Those trying to understand morality or trying to please God. It shows the aim of the Gospel is to bring the spiritually dead to life, not merely make bad people good.

Those from religious backgrounds that need to do something to gain a deity’s favor to deal with brokenness. It shows that we don’t have to clean up our act before we come to the God of the Bible. Jesus will clean us up when we give ourselves to Him.

For the irreligious, this story challenges the belief that you need merely to justify or believe in yourself. Therapy, mindfulness, or self-talk are not enough to truly deal with our brokenness. Our Creator meets us there and offers new life.