The Pharisee and the Publican
(Taxman)
By Jonathan Mitchell
Lu. 18:9-14
Theologians and Bible scholars have made many applications of this parable. In this brief study, we will examine the elements of the story, consider the interpretive framing and context that Luke gives us in vs. 9, look for the central insights that Jesus provides for us, and then consider three potential interpretations. So let us begin with the text:
9. Now He also spoke this illustration (parable) to certain folks who had reached a settled, persuaded conclusion in which they continued confidently trusting upon themselves - that they are just, fair, (decent; upright), while continuing in right and legal relationships in the path pointed out by law and custom, and [they] continue considering and treating the rest (= other folks) as amounting to nothing, while despising and disregarding [them]:
10. "Two men walked up into the Temple courts to think or speak of having goodness, ease and well-being (or: to pray). The one [was] a Pharisee (a Separated One), and the different (or: other) one, a tax collector (or: a tribute or customs contractor; tax farmer).
11. "The Pharisee, standing [apart] by himself, began affirming to have these good things, referring to himself (or: praying these things to himself): 'O God, I continue giving thanks to You that I am not even as the rest of the people (humans) - extortioners, unjust folks, adulterers - or even as this tax collector!
12. "'I habitually fast twice a week; I continually tithe (give the tenth of) everything - as much as I continue acquiring.'
13. "But the tax collector (or: tribute contractor), standing far off (= remaining at a distance, in the background), continued unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven (or: unto the atmosphere or sky) - and in contrast kept on beating (striking) his chest, repeatedly saying, 'O God, at your mercy seat let me, the failure (the one who has deviated and missed the goal; the sinner), be sheltered and cleansed!' [Isa. 66:2]
14. "I am now saying to you folks, this man walked down into his home being one having been rightwised (delivered, turned in the right direction and placed in right relationship within the Way pointed out), rather than that one, because everyone [who is] constantly lifting himself up (exalting himself) will be brought low and humbled. Yet the person habitually humbling himself and placing himself in a low position will be lifted up and exalted."
As a preamble to the illustration, vs. 9a informs us that it was spoken,
"to certain folks who had reached a settled, persuaded conclusion in which they continued confidently trusting upon themselves (etc.)."
The Pharisee, in vss. 11-12, would seem to fit the category of these "certain folks," as vs. 9b goes on to explain. Verse 13 seems to set the tax collector as a character in the story that stands in stark contrast to the Pharisee. The story involves just these two men, and the setting is the Temple courts, in Jerusalem.
Both men came to the Temple for the same purpose:
"to think or speak of having goodness, ease and well-being (or: to pray)."
Both men speak to God, in this setting, and then vs. 14 instructs us that "this man" (presumably, the tax collector - with him being the closest antecedent, in vs. 13)
"walked down into his home being one having been rightwised."
In the traditional reading of vs. 14b, Jesus concludes the illustration and presents His listeners with the point of the parable:
"because everyone [who is] constantly lifting himself up (exalting himself) will be brought low and humbled. Yet the person habitually humbling himself and placing himself in a low position will be lifted up and exalted."
We find a similar statement by Jesus in Mat. 18:4, where Jesus uses a little child as an illustration of,
"Who, consequently, exists being greater (= most important) within the heavens' reign" (vs. 3).
"Therefore, whoever will be progressively bringing himself low in attitude, situation and condition, so as to be humble, insignificant and unimportant in his own eyes, like this young child - this person is the greater (= more important) with the heavens' reign (or: the kingdom emanating from the atmospheres)."
Notice that this is a comparison, "the greater," not a qualifications for being in the reign of the heavens. Others, who may be "less important" in the kingdom - because of not humbling themselves - are, by this comparison, also a part of the kingdom. Furthermore, Jesus instructs us, in Mat. 23:12,
"So, whoever shall exalt (= promote) himself will be progressively humbled and brought low, and whoever shall humble himself (bring or make himself low; = demote and make himself of little significance) will continue being lifted up and exalted (= promoted)."
Now we should take note that in Mat. 23:12, both parties experience "humbling." One humbles himself; the other is humbled by God (an example of the "divine passive" voice, in Scripture: God is assumed to be the Actor, humanity has the action done to it). We find this "divine passive" used by Jacob, in Jas. 4:10,
"you folks must consequently be made low (humbled; demoted; brought to a low station), in the Lord's sight (= in [Yahweh's, or Christ's] presence), and then He will progressively lift you up (or: continue elevating you)."
Observe that in both clauses it is the Lord who does the action. Unfortunately, the common versions render the first clause as though it was the active voice, but in fact, it is the passive voice. The subject (the human) is being "acted upon."
Marge White cogently commented on vs. 14b:
"This statement has always reminded me of Luke 20:18 regarding throwing one's self upon the rock or having the rock doing the falling. Does it not seem that the heart of the 'least' was throwing himself upon the Rock? Interestingly Strong's indicated that the usage of 'grinding to powder' had the implication of threshing. And back to our many layers, and Jesus addressing Pharisees, of whom I am at times, I have fallen on that rock and been broken, or in more stubborn self-justification moments had Him fall on me. Both processes have the same result. And of course both actions originate with Him. The process of being broken is not fun and I don't go around seeking it, but He certainly makes those moments happen. And indeed He is no respecter of persons but outward appearances are the breeding grounds for judging others according to our own standards of conduct... and are often the reason for my falling on the Rock, or getting hit by it."
Thus far, we are reading Jesus' parable in a way in which most commentators interpret the story. However, many go beyond the text and assume that the tax collector goes to heaven and the Pharisee "misses out" (to put it mildly). Part of the problem is assuming that Jesus' parables always had in mind the (false) dichotomy of "heaven or hell." We suggest that most of Jesus' teachings were about the way we live life, here and now. Nothing in this parable insinuates that it is speaking of some "final judgment," or of the men's destinies in the next life (i.e., after they died).
The only thing that we might assume about the Pharisee, in this story, is that he might need to be humbled. His prayer seems to indicate that he was
"lifting himself up (exalting himself)."He definitely suffered from an "us and them" paradigm.
Here we can see Luke's commentary in 9b,
"[they] continue considering and treating the rest (= other folks) as amounting to nothing, while despising and disregarding [them]."
In this way, we might conclude that he was "missing the target," in regard to Jesus' teachings. Other than that, he was living a moral and religious life - judging by his words about himself, and Jesus does not contradict what he said about himself.
Notice that both men stood by themselves, within the court. One was perhaps by this stance distinguishing himself from
"the rest of the people (humans) - extortioners, unjust folks, adulterers - or even as this tax collector!"
The other, was perhaps distancing himself from others because he knew what other Jews thought of him - as a turncoat, working for their oppressors, or as "an extortioner" (taking more money from the people than the appropriate tax set by the Romans). The Pharisee seemed to exalt himself, and the tax collector seemed to humble himself - both in how each one placed himself in the group that was praying, and in the contrast of personal demeanor, between the two of them. But both men were welcome to be there, and to speak their hearts to God. It was apparently a normal Temple scene.
In the final pronouncements, Jesus used the word
"having been rightwised."
Again, the "divine passive" voice. This rendering is based upon Rudolf Bultmann's instructions in his Theology of the New Testament. Also on offer, in the parenthetical expansion, are meanings that have been unpacked from other scholars: "delivered, turned in the right direction and placed in right relationship within the Way pointed out." Now if we apply this to the tax collector, it seems that all that was necessary for this to happen to him was his humble attitude, his acknowledgement for being the failure (the one who has deviated and missed the goal; the sinner), and then his request to "be sheltered and cleansed" at God's mercy seat (the covering of the ark of the covenant, at one time situated in the holy of holies, in the Temple). His request for shelter and cleansing is interpreted by Jesus as being answered by
"having been rightwised (turned in the right direction; etc.)."
We should note that in his requests to God, he made no mention of the Pharisee, or of anyone else.
Now both men came to the Temple, and thus, both were participating in the old covenant cultus. So why is nothing said about the Pharisee, after his prayer of thanksgiving? Some have suggested that he had a right to feel good about himself and his situation in life - and he was thanking God for these blessings. Because of the seemingly obvious contrast between these two characters, in vs. 14, I rendered the Greek preposition para as "rather than." It could also be rendered "to the side of, and compared to." However, Amy-Jill Levine (Short Stories by Jesus, The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi, HapreOne, 2014, pp 183ff) rightly points out that this can also be rendered, as she does in her translation, "alongside." That is a viable rendering. Thus, her translation reads, "this one is justified alongside that one." That reading of the Greek would be saying that both men were justified - both the "saint" and the "sinner." This is worthy of consideration. However, because of the theme of contrast in the parable, and because this preposition is incorporated into a compound noun, as well as into two compound verbs, that signify "a going to the side of the path," and are commonly rendered "transgress," or, "a going against" what is right, it seemed to me that the best reading of this parable is a contrast in the outcomes of the contrasting behaviors. We will let our readers decide, here.
If we take Luke's preface to the parable, along with Jesus' concluding words in 14b, it seems that
"the way pointed out, and deliverance by being rightwised,"
involves humility rather than, "continued, confident trusting upon oneself." The contrast seems to be between exalting oneself and taking a low position. This reading comports with other teachings of Jesus.
As to the tax collector's request, Levine helpfully points us to Solomon's prayer in 2 Chron. 6:29-30,
"And if every prayer and every petition arises from every person and all your people Israel, if a person knows his infection and his infirmity and spreads out his hands to this place, you will also hear from the sky [heaven], from your ready habitation, and you will grant expiation [hilase: shelter and cleansing at the mercy seat] and will give a man according to his ways, as you know his heart, for you alone know the heart of the sons of men"
(A New English Translation of the Septuagint, Oxford University Press, 2007; brackets mine).
This shows the precedence for the tax collector's request, and expectation. We can also see that being "rightwised" involves "being lifted up and exalted" by the Lord (vs. 14b). Can we hear a forecast of Eph. 2:6, here?
"He jointly roused and raised (or: suddenly awakens and raises) [us] up, and caused [us] to sit (or: seats [us]; = enthroned [us]) together in union with, and among, the heavenly people, and within the things situated upon [thus, above] the heavens."
In conclusion of this reading, we might ask whether Jesus was giving this parable for individual piety, or since tax collectors rallied around Jesus, and were accepted by Him, was this a subtle forecast of the social "outcasts" being exalted into the sovereign activities of God's reign (e.g., Lu. 6:20b)? Which character, in this story, exhibited a change in his thinking? Was not the tax collector in the same category as those who went to John the immerser, desiring a flowing away of their failures and mistakes? Was he not seeking divine intervention into his situation? The Pharisee exhibited no sense of need from God; he had, in his mind, met the requirements of the Law, and that was all that was required. The tax collector, on the other hand, knew his need and asked for God's help.
However, with the above being more or less congruent with traditional interpretations of the parable, upon further meditation on our text, we can also see that perhaps more weight could be given to Levine's perspective. What if the contrast that we observe in Jesus' story is simply between the two characters, where each one represents a polar opposite of the Judean culture of that day - but that Jesus' point was that both men were included in the covenant of that time and of that culture. The Pharisee may simply represent the paradigm of ideal covenant participation - he did everything right, except for the mental "putting-down" of folks whom he did not feel measured-up to his standards (and how common is this, especially in today's Christianity).
Furthermore, we do not have to read into the text that he was speaking from pride: this may have simply been a sincere expression of his gratitude for the grace that had been given to him - even if attended by a "better-than-thou" attitude towards others. In the parable proper, Jesus says nothing about exalting/humbling. We have been taught to read it that way. We can see that the Pharisee SEEMS to be exalting himself, and that he sees himself as separated (meaning of the word Pharisee) from other people. I grew up with that same perception (I guess I was a Pharisee, and did not know it); I was glad that I was one of the elect that was separated from the rest of humanity. But I did not take pride in that fact, but rather was thankful (which is what we see the Pharisee expressing) - I knew that it was all from Grace. This was our family culture, as my sister, Rebecca, attests. We viewed this as the highest form of Christianity. The Pharisee in our text would have probably felt the same about his Judaism.
We read of another Pharisee who at one time had confidence in the flesh (Phil. 3:4-6), where he ended his reasons for characterizing his past life as a zealous Pharisee as being,
"in accordance to fairness and equity in the way pointed out in the Law, one coming to be, of myself, without defect (one becoming blameless)."
But this Pharisee had been brought low on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-8). In 1 Cor. 7:25b, Paul refers to himself,
"as being one having been mercied (shown mercy) by (or: under) [the] Lord, to exist being one full of faith (or: to be trustworthy, loyal and faithful)."
Later, he received the revelation which he shared in Rom. 11:32,
"For you see, God encloses, shuts up and locks all mankind (everyone; the entire lot of folks) into incompliance (disobedience; stubbornness; lack of being convinced), to the end that He could (or: would; should) mercy all mankind (may make everyone, the all, recipients of mercy)!"
Our taxman, in Jesus' parable, was on the right track.
This tax man may simply represent the paradigm of "the least" folks among the covenant people of that Judean society. Following Levine's rendering of para, we could observe that "this one was included in good covenant standing," right "alongside of that one," and thus we could read Jesus as saying that all who came to God in that covenantal way were accepted by Him - despite their personal shortcomings. And THAT was, perhaps, Jesus' main point. Both the "religious" and the "non-religious" were equally accepted as being in covenant relationship with God, according to the cultural norms of the old covenant. Both men came to the prescribed location to present themselves before Yahweh (at the Temple; God's home among them). Both were accepted.
This other reading of the parable would view vs. 9 as Luke's editorial interpretation, in his Gospel, as one bookend for the story. The other bookend - which, in this reading, was not a part of Jesus' illustration - could be seen in the final aphorism of vs. 14b,
"because everyone [who is] constantly lifting himself up (exalting himself) will be brought low and humbled. Yet the person habitually humbling himself and placing himself in a low position will be lifted up and exalted."
This compound conclusion could also be Luke's interpretive addition that answered to what he had said in vs. 9. In this reading, Jesus' parable had ended in 14a, right before the word, "because."
But if we read 14b in the traditional manner, and as being the words of Jesus, there is still the possibility of understanding that both men were rightwised (included in covenantal standing) by reading para as "alongside of." In this third reading, Jesus is saying that (contrary to His listeners' expectation) the tax collector has been elevated to the place of right standing in the covenant, because he had humbled himself. In other words, the tax man now stands on the same covenantal ground, and sphere of acceptance, as the Pharisee. There is now no "religious," or covenantal, difference between them.
We will once again let our reader decide which of these interpretations better resonate. Parables often have layers of meanings. If the words of 14b were Luke's, rather than Jesus', this might reveal to us an early interpretation by the called-out folks from whom Luke had heard this tradition (cf Lu. 1:2), and thus did he present the parable in this manner. May the Spirit illumine our hearts on this question.
Now how can we let this illustration speak to us today, in our own time and religious or political culture? Is God still accepting polar opposites? Is Jesus still teaching a Gospel of Inclusion? Is this a story about the fallacy of judging others by outward appearances, or a person's station in life? Do we, also, need to follow the lower path of humility? Is our personal condition to be viewed as dependent upon God's mercy? Does this point us toward a cruciform life, as opposed to a life of self-satisfaction?
A nearby observation, regarding a specific publican (tax man): In Lu. 19:5b, Jesus called Zacchaeus down from a tree, and then invited Himself to be this tax collector's guest. Luke informs us that this man was a "sinner." In vs. 8, Zacchaeus pledges to do justice in his dealings with the people, and even a fourfold restoration if he had been mistaken (a sign that he knew the Law). Then we read:
10. "You see, the Son of the Man (= the eschatological messianic figure; = Adam's son) came to seek after, and then to save, deliver and restore what is existing being lost, ruined, demolished and destroyed."
We suggest that the salvation/deliverance was birthed in Zacchaeus' house because Jesus entered into the house. The pledge of vs. 8 was the fruit of Jesus' visit. Jesus had mercied one who was existing being lost, ruined, demolished and destroyed. He also acknowledged that Zacchaeus was Abraham's son - i.e., a member of the covenant people. It is Christ's presence that creates a transformation in people. One parting thought: we notice that in both the parable and the incident with Zacchaeus that these tax men end up in their homes. Why did Jesus mention this in the parable (18:14a)? Is there, perchance, a connection between these two, closely-positioned passages? Did Luke realize that the parable had been a foreshadowing of a real-life encounter in the life of Jesus? Or did Jesus plan this out, since He was on His way to Jerusalem (the location of the parable) and had heard of this
"chief tax (or: tribute; customs) collector and contractor [who was] a wealthy man" (19:2)?
Would His disciples have made this connection? Was Zacchaeus the man in the illustration of 18:2-14a?
Jonathan
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