THE PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE AND THE TAX COLLECTOR

Luke 18:9-14 9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

THE PHARISEE—PRIDE

• Self-righteous, got it together, proud, judgmental, arrogant, entitled, faithless, his terms, performance minded

Where do you see yourself in the Pharisee?

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TAX COLLECTOR—HUMILITY

•  Broken, needy, humble, repentant, surrendered, end of his rope, dependent, willing, done

Where do you see yourself in the tax collector?

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Romans 6:21–23 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 3:22–24 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

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Romans 10:9–11 9That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS IN LIFE GROUPS OR WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS:

Passages to consider: Luke 18:9-14

1.  What was your take away from the sermon? What are you discovering about parables?
2.  Read Luke 18:9-14. What is the setting that Jesus is telling the parable? Who is there? Who is he addressing?
3.  Talk about what each man in the parable does.
4.  What does it sound like today when people believe their own “righteousness” is good enough? (Note: this can be in a religious setting or a secular setting.) A) What can tempt you to trust in your own goodness?
5.  When have you seen humbleness and trust in God’s mercy modeled? A) What have you learned from that example?
6.  What are ways you remind yourself of the gospel of Jesus’ grace, death, life, and forgiveness for you? A) What is your response to this week’s parable? With whom can you share the story or your response?