Luke 18:9-14
Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector tells us a great deal. Verse 9 immediately informs us that self-righteous people think highly of themselves, looking down on others in the qualities that they consider important to their self-evaluation. We should not make the mistake of adhering too tightly to what this Pharisee regards as important, for being puffed up about one's qualities is not limited to his. Esteeming one's own qualities can be extended to athletic skills, dressmaking, musical accomplishments, cooking, mechanical things, clothing, housing, driving ability, IQ, academic accomplishments, and so forth. There is no limit to what human nature will identify in a person to puff itself up as better than others. Verse 13 relates the major difference between the two men, which is a key to understanding how self-righteousness can be overcome. The difference lies in the fact that the tax collector recognizes his spiritual poverty, whereas the Pharisee, despite all his accomplishments, is totally ignorant of it. This dissimilarity made all the difference in the world in how each approached God. The tax collector came appealing for mercy because he could see he had nothing to offer God in his heart and character. In contrast, the Pharisee boasted of his accomplishments, feeling he was rich in righteousness and deserved praise. The tax collector's recognition of his spiritual poverty provides insight as to why being "poor in spirit" is listed first among those virtues that lead one toward the Kingdom of God (Matthew 5:3). One who is poor in spirit realizes that he has nothing to offer God that is of any good, spiritual quality at all. He will, therefore, eagerly and approvingly listen to God's counsel and use it to glorify Him. He goes to God seeking His qualities, not boasting of his own as if he were His equal. Thus, when preparing for baptism, it is essential that we understand that we are not merely to repent of our sins but must also repent of what we are because what we are generates what we do! The episode in Luke 7:36-48, where the sinful woman washes Christ's feet, provides another key to understanding and overcoming self-righteousness. It begins to unfold in verses 41-42 in the question, "Who will love Him more?" and its answer, "The one whom He forgave more." The key lies in yielding to the right use of God-given knowledge. The woman is aware of her many sins; they are obvious to her, as to the tax collector. Again, the Pharisee is unaware of his spiritual poverty. He looks down on the woman. In addition, and very importantly, he does not recognize Jesus for what He is (verse 39). The self-righteous do not know God; thus, he never thinks about showing Jesus any love whatever. Yet, the woman is full of love for Jesus, and she recognizes His love for her, which He shows in His forgiveness of her. The woman, using the knowledge of what she is, her sinfulness, and her forgiveness by Jesus, pours out acts of love on the One she perceives she is indebted to for revealing the depths of her spiritual poverty. She does not pour out her love to get forgiveness but because she recognizes her sins, knows she is forgiven, and is therefore indebted. The Pharisee acknowledges no indebtedness at all because he is altogether blind to his spiritual poverty. Thus, he does not even realize that he needs any forgiveness! Self-righteousness is rooted in spiritual ignorance of the reality of what we are—not merely what we do—compared to God, not other men. The self-righteous person is blind to true spiritual richness because he is so wrapped up in himself that he frankly does not know God. He does not see Him. In Philippians 3:3, Paul writes that a Christian has "no confidence in the flesh." The apostle had an enviable pedigree, a steady pattern of good conduct, and an admirable zeal for what he believed to be right. However, he counted those things as mere rubbish compared to his knowledge of Christ (verse 8). This is a great pattern. It is urgent and essential that we ask God to reveal Himself and His Son to us more forcefully and obviously so that we may comprehend the spiritual differences between Them and us more clearly. When we realize these differences, we can seek forgiveness and appreciate Christ with a more correct understanding of these essential truths.
John W. Ritenbaugh
On Self-Righteousness
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