10 Oct '18 01:35>3 edits
Luke 18 ESV
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 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!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Many Christians seem to mistakenly believe that in the text in bold above, Jesus is saying that the tax collector is "justified" in the absolute sense rather than the relative sense. So they "beat [their] breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" -figuratively and/or literally - expecting to be "justified" in the absolute sense as well.
Perversely this leads them to "[trust] in themselves that they [are] righteous" as well.
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 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!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Many Christians seem to mistakenly believe that in the text in bold above, Jesus is saying that the tax collector is "justified" in the absolute sense rather than the relative sense. So they "beat [their] breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" -figuratively and/or literally - expecting to be "justified" in the absolute sense as well.
Perversely this leads them to "[trust] in themselves that they [are] righteous" as well.