Connect360: The Peril of Proud Praying

• Lesson 12 in the Connect360 unit “Jesus Storyteller: Timeless Truths From His Parables” focuses on Luke 18:9-14.

We must all guard against praying so others will be impressed with what we say. Prayer always should be directed to God alone in a real relationship with him. This parable is a study in contrasts. The tax collector went to church (the Temple) because he was in trouble, and he believed God could help him. His body language revealed his sense of unworthiness; he couldn’t walk to the front of the crowd and instead kept his distance. He beat his chest and bowed his head.

In Jesus’ time, the Pharisee was considered the “good guy.” He wore the white hat and was a synagogue leader. All Pharisees were super-religious men who were extremely careful about obeying the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament). They also followed the Mishnah, which explained how to obey the Torah. There might be several chapters in the Mishnah devoted to one single verse in the Torah. In addition, they followed the Talmud, which was a commentary on the Mishnah. These guys lived by the book.

However, a tax collector was the “bad guy” in Jewish culture. Hired by the pagan Romans, this villain could charge exorbitant taxes and keep most of the money for himself. If you had been a good Jew listening to Jesus’ parable, you would have cheered the Pharisee and booed the tax collector.

Role reversal

But Jesus is always full of surprises. He introduced a good guy and a bad guy, and by the time Jesus finished the parable, the good guy had become the bad guy, and the bad guy has become the good guy.

Did you notice the Pharisee was quick to criticize and condemn the tax collector? Pride blinds a person to their own faults and magnifies the failures and faults of others. When you compare yourself to someone else, you’re using the wrong standard. God’s measuring stick is not the morality of another person. His standard is Jesus. How do you measure up to him?

I’ve heard people justify their goodness by saying they have never robbed a bank or murdered someone. God doesn’t grade on the curve. It doesn’t matter if you are a little better than average. The Bible reminds us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Based on a lesson by David O. Dykes, pastor emeritus of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler. To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.