The Pharisee And Publican

Adapted From A Sermon By

George Burder

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!’

(Luke 18:13)

Our text this morning is the short but moving and powerful petition in verse 18 of our Scripture reading: God, be merciful to me, a sinner!

There is a time fast approaching, when mercy will appear to all mankind the most valuable thing in the world. Consider the awful hour, when you will be about to take your last breath, and launch into an unknown world; realize the still more awful moment, when the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised; when the great white throne will be erected, and the assembled world will appear before the universal Judge; when the grand separation will be made between the righteous and the wicked; the one being placed at the right hand, the other at the left of Christ—then will the full value of mercy be known.

What a word will mercy be then; a world for mercy then! “Vessels of mercy”(Romans 9:23) obtainers of mercy—how will they shout and sing, ‘O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”(Psalm 136:1) While others, in all the bitterness of fruitless anguish, will cry, O that we had but known the need of mercy, the way of mercy, and the value of mercy, while it might have been had! But now the door is shut; the mercies of God are clean gone forever, and he will be favorable no more.

With this amazing scene in prospect, let us consider the text, and the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, of which it is a part.

The introduction to it, and the conclusion of it, will be the best key to its true meaning.

In the introduction, our Savior “told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt.”(Luke 18:9) Here are two bad things in their character.

1. They trusted in themselves which no man can do, if he knows the holy law of God; and

2. They treated others with contempt, which we cannot do, if we know our own hearts.

The conclusion shows how God dislikes such people, while he accepts a poor dejected sinner; for “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”(Luke 18:14)

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.”(Luke 18:10) The Pharisees were a sect of people in those days in high repute for religion; they separated themselves from others, as if more holy: they distinguished themselves by peculiar zeal for ceremonies: but many of them were blatant hypocrites, neglecting the religion of the heart, and indulging themselves in cruelty and oppression.

The tax collector also appeared at the same place, at the same time, and on the same errand; but how different their characters! Had we seen them both together, we should perhaps have thought far better of the Pharisee than of the tax collector; for “man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”(1 Samuel 16:7) Very different motives brought them here. The Pharisee came because it was a public place, and he wished to be seen and admired; the tax collector came because it was “a house of prayer,”(Isaiah 56:7) and he wanted to pour out his soul before God. Thus in all places of worship there is a mixture of characters; but let us remember, God is the searcher of the heart, and he knows what brings us to his house.

“The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus;”(Luke 18:11)—he stood by himself, with great formality, in a place where the people had to notice him; he prayed thus with himself, and to himself, not to God: Sadly, there are many people who pray to themselves; they do not speak to God; their words never reach him; they utter sounds, but not desires; this praying will do no good. It is remarkable, that in all the Pharisee’s prayer there is not one petition: he came to pray; but surely he forgot his errand, for he asks nothing. Praise to God is certainly a proper and a noble part of prayer; but though he pretends to praise, he only boasts.

But let us hear his fine prayer; “God, I thank you that I am not like other men.” What is this but ignorance, pride, and judgementalism? Besides, he begins his prayer with a lie. He was as other men are, for all men are sinners; in this respect all are the same: there is no difference, as the Scripture speaks, Romans 3:22, 23. It is true that some men are restrained from sins that others commit; but the seeds of every sin are by nature in the heart of every man; and if we have not actually committed them, we owe it to the restraining power or the changing grace of God. The Pharisee seems to admit of this, by saying, “God, I thank you;” but we have reason to doubt his sincerity in so saying; and to think they were to him mechanical and formal words; for so proud a heart as his could not see his obligations to divine grace; and there are many, who, like him, use words of praise, but feel no gratitude to God. His meaning was probably this, “O God, Author of my being, I thank you for the noble powers with which you have endowed me, by my own wise and careful improvement of which I have kept myself from being so wicked as other people.”

You will observe, that there were two principal parts of the law; the one respected morals, the other ceremonials. Now the Pharisee takes care to brag of his regard to both;

and first, to the moral law, I am not like other men—well, what are other men? Why, according to his account, it should seem that most other men are extortioners, unjust, adulterers. At all times there are too many such people as these; but his way of mentioning them was merely for the purpose of exalting himself and his own sect, some of whom were equally criminal, though under the mask of religion. It may be the Pharisee was not an “extortioner,”—did not cruelly oppress his neighbor; but we have Christ’s authority for it, that the Pharisees were generally “lovers of money,”(Luke 16:14) and some of them “devoured widows’ houses.”(Luke 20:47) He says he was not “unjust”—not a swindler, or a cheat: but could he say he had never coveted his neighbor's goods? for this is the same as robbery in the sight of God. He says he was not an “adulterer;” it may be so; but our Lord says, that “everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”(Matthew 5:28) But this was the folly of such men; they washed the outside of the cup and the platter, but within they were “full of greed and self-indulgence;” righteous on the outside, but they were “full of hypocrisy and lawlessness;” within. So Christ declares. (Matthew 23:25, 28)

Not content with boasting of himself, he has to abuse the poor tax collector.—“I am not like this tax collector.” What business did he have with the tax collector? He ought to have rejoiced to see him in the temple; he might have hoped it was a symptom of his reformation. He should have gone and shook hands with him, and given him some good advice. But his proud heart despises the brokenhearted sinner; just as modern Pharisees, who look upon mourning souls as poor, pretentious, whining hypocrites, far beneath their notice. There was a great deal of cruelty in this; he could not say his own prayers without disparaging, as it were, the petition of his poor neighbor.

But, secondly, the Pharisee has yet more to boast of. He had not only “done no one any harm,” as the common saying is, but he had been mighty religious; he kept Lent all the year. I fast, said he, twice a week. Occasional fasting, in order to humble ourselves before God for our sins, is very commendable; but the Pharisee’s fasting was not for that purpose, but for ostentation, and with a view to merit at the hand of God, as appears by his boasting of it. Besides this, he tells God, he gave tithes of all he possessed; not only of what the law of Moses required, but of the herbs in his garden; he devoted a tenth part of all he had to religious uses, whether required or not by the law.

‘Thus you have the Pharisee’s prayer; a prayer which God rejected; for though he justified himself, God did not justify him.

And now, let us take a moment to examine ourselves. Is there nothing of the Pharisee’s spirit in us? Do we not hear people speaking the same language sometimes? Is not this all the hope of some persons, that they never did any person harm; that they pay every one his due; and perhaps that they often go to church, behave decently, take the sacrament, give alms; and so on? How often is this language heard on a dying bed! Poor ignorant souls rush into the presence of God with no other foundation for their hope than the Pharisee had; while we do not hear a word of true humility, poverty of spirit, sense of sin, or hope in Jesus, as the sinner’s only friend and hope. O, beware of resembling the Pharisee. Pleas like his may please men, but they will not succeed with God: rather let us resemble the poor brokenhearted tax collector, whose character and prayer we next consider.

“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!”(Luke 18:13) The Jews were, at this time, subject to the Roman emperor, and paid him taxes, which were sometimes gathered by rich tax collectors, who, in the execution of their office, were too often dishonest and oppressive; on account of which, and on account of the taxes themselves, which were aggravating to the Jews, the name of a tax collector was abominable, and was classed with those of harlots and sinners.

Whether this tax collector was an extortioner, or not, we do not know. Doubtless he was a sinner; and by some means or other he became a convinced sinner, a penitent sinner, and a praying sinner. Perhaps this was the first time that he ever prayed in his life; for sinning generally keeps men from praying. It is plain that the Spirit of God had humbled his heart; and he was one of those blessed men, who are “poor in spirit,”(Matthew 5:3) and he was one of those blessed mourners, who “shall be comforted.”(Matthew 5:4)

Observe his posture—he was standing far off from the holy place, where the priest officiated; he knew this was proper for him, for he had lived at a great distance from God as a sinner; and he knew he deserved that God should forever behold him afar off.

Observe also his dejected looks: he could not look up; he thought it would be presumptuous in him to lift up his eyes to heaven, the habitation of God's glory. Other sinners have thought the same; David says, “innumerable evils have surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;”(Psalm 40:12 NKJV) but those downcast eyes attracted the eyes of God; he could not lift up his eyes, but he lifted up his heart; and there is no beauty in the sight of God greater than blushing for sin. “This is the one to whom I will look,” says the Lord, “he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”(Isaiah 66:2).

Another mark of his repentance was his beating his breast; he knew his heart; he did not think it a good heart, as some very mistaken people speak; no, he knew the plague of his heart; he knew it was the seat and source of all his sins, and by beating on his breast he seemed as if he would take revenge upon his own wicked heart; it expresses his indignation against himself, and the vehemence of his anger against sin. And what do we know of such a disposition as this? When were you thus angry with yourself, and filled with shame and confusion of face because of your sins? Know this, that such is the attitude of all who are taught of God; and if you have never felt this way, you have never yet experienced true repentance.

Now we come to his prayer. It was very short, but very good: no man ever offered a better, or to better purpose. Not that the mere words have any power in themselves: too many people use such words profanely, when they say, when surprised, God bless us! or Lord have mercy on us! but such praying as this is the way to get a curse, not a blessing. When the tax collector said, God be merciful to me, a sinner, he felt what he said: he felt he was a perishing sinner, and he felt an earnest desire for mercy.

He calls himself, a sinner, or the sinner, as some would render it; or the foremost of sinners,(1 Timothy 1:15) as Paul called himself. The word sinner was a term of reproach among the Jews, and seemed to be applied chiefly to a harlot, or some notorious offender; but the tax collector takes it to himself. It is very likely he spoke this aloud in the hearing of the Pharisee, and others who did not think themselves sinners; for he was not unwilling to appear before men what he well knew he was before God. He would not have been angry with that sort or preaching which lays men low; nor would he have been displeased with a friend who had said to him, You are a very great sinner. But what would you think of a person who spoke to you in that way? Would you not be very angry, and say, I am no worse than others. But a true penitent can never find words sufficient to express the sense he has of his vileness.

If we know the meaning and extent of the Ten Commandments, we will say after each of them, “Lord have mercy upon us!” And if we see anything of the holiness, majesty, and glory of the great God, we will cry, with Isaiah, “Woe is me! For I am lost;”(Isaiah 6:5) or with Job, “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”(Job 42:5-6) No truly enlightened person will say, as many have done, I am not a great sinner; for, in fact, there cannot be a little sinner, unless there were a little law to break, a little God to offend, and a little wrath to incur. It is too common for persons to comfort themselves with the idea that they are not such great sinners as some others; many dying people do this. But this is very foolish; for the question is, not whether we have sinned as much as others, but whether we have sinned at all; that is, whether we have broken the holy law of God! If so, we are sinners, and stand exposed to the divine wrath; nor can we escape it but by partaking of that great mercy for which the tax collector prayed.

You will next observe, that his sense of sin and danger led him to prayer. Many people live without prayer; and what is the reason? They do not feel the need of mercy; for this is the first thing a convinced sinner prays for; and it is a good sign of grace, when a desire for mercy sends a man to his knees. Angels rejoice on such an occasion, and point to the newborn soul, saying, “behold, he is praying!”(Acts 9:11) Do you pray for mercy? If not, how can you expect it; and what must become of you without it? Would that you may begin to pray!

This poor man cried to the Lord; and where else can a creature run for help but to God? He is our maker; he is our governor; he is our just Judge; he is able to save or destroy: he is offended with our sins, yet he is most gracious, and ready to forgive. How reasonable, then, that guilty, helpless sinners, ready to perish, should apply to him who “is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him;”(Hebrews 7:25) through Jesus Christ.

He begs for mercy. What is mercy? We know what it is by our own feelings. It is compassion to the miserable; it is a disposition to pity and relieve the distressed; and we never speak of mercy but with reference to misery. It is not, then, a light unfeeling use of solemn words, that can encourage us to hope for mercy: it is not saying, without feeling, Lord have mercy upon us! Christ have mercy upon us! but it is coming with the tax collector’s spirit, with his broken heart, with his remorse, with his desires, and in earnest prayer claiming this precious blessing.

Observe it is mercy he asks. There is not a word of merit. Mercy and merit are opposite things. The Pharisee’s prayer was a mere boast of meritorious deeds; the tax collector has nothing to plead; nor does he ask for wealth, or honor, or pleasure; his heart is dead to these: all his desires center in one, and that one is mercy.

But the petition, be merciful, includes something more than is commonly understood by it; the word translated merciful has respect to the atonement made by blood; to the sacrifice offered up at the temple; which were types of Christ, “whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.”(Romans 3:25)

At the temple, in the court of which the tax collector stood, there was a lamb offered every morning at nine o’clock, and every evening at three; and these were the hours of prayer; so that the pious Jews came then to pray, that by virtue of the atonement of Christ represented by blood, and of his intercession represented by the incense, their prayers might be accepted.

His prayer then was—God be favourable to me a sinner—accept the atonement in my behalf—let my soul be cleansed in the blood of Christ. In this way, by faith in Jesus, let us seek the mercy of God: Let us not dream of mere absolute mercy. The mercy of God cannot be bestowed without regard to his justice.

Now God has glorified his justice by punishing sin in the person of our glorious Redeemer, upon whom he “has laid the iniquity of us all,”(Isaiah 53:6) and through whom he is, at once “a righteous God and a Savior.”(Isaiah 45:21) In this way, and in no other, can a sinner obtain mercy; for our Lord declares, that no one comes to the Father except through him;(John 14:6) and no mercy comes to the sinner except through him; but in his dear name we may “draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”(Hebrews 4:16)

So came the tax collector, and in this way he succeeded. It was not the depth of his humility, the sincerity of his repentance, nor the fervency of his devotion, that merited acceptance; these dispositions were the gifts of God, and could merit nothing; but it was the merit of the Redeemer’s precious blood, typified by the blood of lambs, which he pleaded, and which will never be pleaded in vain. Our Lord tells us, “This man went down to his house justified, rather than the other,”(Luke 18:14) or not the other; the reason of which he adds, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”(Luke 18:14) Consider how great is this blessing! “He went down to his house justified;” there was no condemnation for him; he was accepted in the Beloved; he had passed from death to life! Happy man! he might “eat his bread with joy, and drink his wine with a merry heart,”(Ecclesiastes 9:7) for God approved his works.

Application

Shall we not then “go and do likewise?” Are we not sinners? Run this moment to the throne of grace. The Lord waits to be gracious. This is the accepted time; do not lose it by delaying. Tomorrow may be too late. Now, then, with the tax collector’s spirit, let each of us cry, God be merciful to me a sinner!

But beware of the Pharisee’s spirit. Every man is born a Pharisee. Ask little children why they hope to go to heaven; and if they have not been taught better, you will find their hope is, because they are not so bad as others. May God grant that it is not so with grown-up people too! But let no one dare to persist in a self-righteous path; “for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled.”(Luke 18:14)—humbled even to hell. Renounce, then, your own righteousness, as the apostle Paul, the converted Pharisee, did, who says, “whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him.”(Philippians 3:7)

The tax collector’s success is a great encouragement to every awakened sinner seeking for mercy. Seek like him, and like him you will obtain it. And let those who have obtained it be full of joy. “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever;”(Psalm 136:1 NKJV) and as an evidence of having obtained mercy from God, show mercy to others.

And so “be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”(Luke 6:36)