Today’s Readings: Luke 18:9-14
Once inside the temple, the Pharisee stands up and prays this prayer in honor of himself: “God, how I thank You that I am not on the same level as other people—crooks, cheaters, the sexually immoral—like this tax collector over here.
I’m teaching and recording a ministerial course right now on sharing Christ across cultural boundaries. One of the lessons discusses two extreme responses to different cultures that is apropos for this situation, I think. One is called cultural relativism which says every culture is okay, when in Rome, do as the Romans, accept every culture completely for what it is without criticism. The other is ethnocentrism which measure every other culture by your “superior” culture.
Both extreme approaches in viewing cultures are flawed. And every culture is flawed. All of us find ourselves profoundly influenced and molded by the culture in which we live, work, and worship, but because sin entered the world and we became flawed because of sin, the cultures we develop hold those same flawed concepts.
So, the Pharisee with all his piety becomes pious and his religion becomes his prideful downfall. He takes a view that his religion makes him better than those around him. His culture sets him apart as better than the tax collector who kneels at the altar near him. Surely God sees the difference between the two of them, and the Pharisee thanks God for the distinct superiority he holds in his goodness.
God has a problem with the Pharisee’s prayer. The Pharisee forgot he doesn’t come close to meeting God’s standard of goodness. In comparison, the Pharisee is much closer to the tax collector in terms of behavior than he is to God. We are all sinners and can’t live the standards God sets in our own strength. In fact, Jesus said the tax collector found himself closer to God than the Pharisee because he at least knew his position. The Pharisee did not.
The story is about humility and pride. It is also about being careful not to assume other’s position with God. And about prayer. The story tells us we all sin and fall short of God’s standard of right living. It tells us we should all take the position of the tax collector, sinner in God’s eyes, needing His forgiveness, needing His help.
The story is much more than the different cultures of the two, but it’s easy to start there. It’s easy for us to think ourselves better than others because of where we live, the color of our skin, the house we live in, or the car we drive. It might be the gang with which we associate or the job where we work or any number of things that describe our culture or subculture that makes us think we are different or better than another. But we must always remember we are nothing without the blood of Jesus. Until we become citizens of the Kingdom of God where only His culture matters, we live far below what God has in store for us.
Join me next time, won’t you?
Richard
Walk with Me 