Consider the Source

Luke 18:9-14

There is a hazard for the modern Christian who reads this parable. What I mean is, we don’t want to view the Pharisee in this parable in such a way that we end up doing exactly what he does. It might be tempting to congratulate ourselves because, unlike this Pharisee, maybe we’re not self-righteous. It might be tempting to pride ourselves in the fact that we trust in God’s grace and not in our own good works. And so, it might be tempting to view this Pharisee with some contempt. Of course, if we did that, we would end up doing exactly what he does. So, there is a hazard we need to be aware of when we read this passage.