LIFE MARKS: JESUS ILLUSTRATES REPENTANCE

The Temple stood on Mt. Moriah, the highest and most prominent point in the city of Jerusalem. The Temple was where God met man, or we might say, where heaven met earth. It was a place where sacrifices were offered, and where atonement was made for the sins of the people. And although people could pray at any time and virtually anywhere in the land, it was considered more advantageous to pray in the Temple.

Jesus spent a great deal of time teaching near the Temple, and day after day He noticed many religious leaders doing and saying things that pointed clearly to the fact that they were trusting in themselves that they were “righteous” (that is, standing in a right relationship with God) while at the same time, viewing others with contempt. As a result, Jesus used this daily occurrence to tell the following story, which I will re-tell with some short commentary.

Two men went up to the Temple to pray; one was a Pharisee (a religious leader who felt he had a corner on moral perfection), and the other a tax collector (a Jew who collected Roman taxes for profit). Tax collectors were despised by their own countrymen because they were viewed as collaborators with Rome, as well as being generally unjust, excessively padding their own pockets after giving Rome their required taxes. Interestingly, Jesus called a tax collector to leave his “business” and follow Him. He did. His name was Matthew, the one who wrote the first gospel that appears in our Bibles.

Jesus focused on the Pharisee first, noting that he prayed to himself, “God, I thank You that I am not like other people, swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week and pay tithes on all that I get.” And so, he smugly lets God know that he is not like other wretches, and he actually makes a habit of doing some admirable things like fasting and tithing. Proud, arrogant, and self-confident, he reminded himself (remember, he did not pray to God, but to “himself”) that God had every reason to be proud of him, and that he was solidly in God’s corner!

And then Jesus focused on the tax collector who stood at a distance, alone. He felt so unworthy that he could not even lift his eyes toward heaven. As he stood in isolation with head bent low, he repeatedly beat his chest saying, “God, be merciful to me the sinner.” Ashamed of the choices he had made, ashamed of his cold-hearted accumulation of wealth without concern for others, guilt overwhelmed him. He knew that his only hope was to plead for mercy from the only One who could give it.

Seven simple words originating from the depths of his soul, “God be merciful to me, the sinner.” I find it interesting that in the story, Jesus intentionally used the definite article “the sinner” instead of the indefinite article “a sinner.” Why? Because this tax collector considered himself as “the” sinner above all sinners. If living today, he might have said something like, “God, if you look up the word “sinner” in the dictionary, you would not only find a written description of my life, but you would also find my picture next to the entry!” He felt that he fit the perfect description of a “sinner,” and that there was no other who even came close to him.

Two prayers from two completely different people. One prideful and self-righteous, the other humble and broken. Jesus wrapped up the story by saying that it was the tax collector who left the temple in a right standing before God, and not the Pharisee. It was a broken and repentant heart that made all the difference. As guilt and remorse filled his soul, confession came from his lips, and as a result, he entered into a “right relationship with God.” All was well with his soul, and it was all because of repentance.

A final word – This story was told not for the benefit of the tax collectors, but for the religious leaders. In fact, I suspect that it was a group of Pharisees who gathered around Jesus which prompted Him to tell this story. He wanted them to see themselves for who they really were — proud, condemning, and far, very far, from God. He was attempting to show them their own need for repentance. In the end, a few of them did, but most not only rejected Jesus’ message, but also Him.

There is more to say about Repentance, so I’d like to stay on this theme for at least another week. Hope to see you then.