He (Jesus) told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:
Luke 18:9
Education has been center stage for the last year, and rightly so. Parents believe there is nothing of greater importance for a child preparing for life. At the center of the debate, both sides believe they have the best interest of the child in mind. And while our world is a far cry from the 1907 “School Days” song of “Readin, ‘ritin, and ‘rithmetic,” the principles of the three R’s remain the same: teaching our children and preparing them for life.
Jesus was a teacher, with every street corner, hillside, or crowded area, his classroom. He saw hungry hearts starving for truth, hope, and understanding. He used parables and stories to bring biblical truths to life, opening their hearts and minds to compassion and love. While never dismissing the law, he showed the world how to apply God’s law to real life. Jesus illustrates the importance of his three R’s in this next parable.
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men-extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even, as this tax collector.”
“I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all I possess.’
“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’
“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:10-14
As a student, the Pharisee gets to put the A in front of ‘rithmetic because he gives a tenth of all he possesses and fasts twice a week. He is the perfect “rule follower” and “righteous” in his own mind, even reminding God about the shortcomings of others, in case He forgets. This Pharisee is placing himself on the same plain as God! Our first R word, he lacks RECOGNITION of his own condition. He understands the letter of the law but completely misses the spirit of the law.
Romans 3:23 reminds us, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
It is certainly not an accident Jesus chooses these two for his teaching. In biblical times there was no one who sought and received greater adulation from the people than the Pharisee, and no one who received less than the tax collector. In this short teaching, Jesus turned their world upside down. Suddenly tax collectors are standing on the right side with God. Who knew there was hope for all people! But we should not be surprised.
Upon Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, to whom did the angels sing their message of hope? The birth announcement was delivered to the lowest of lows, the shepherds. If there was one group of people held with less esteem than the tax collectors, it would be the shepherds. They were so repulsive they could not give testimony in court. Yet God sends His message to these lowly people.
Luke 19:10 explains the reason for Jesus to come, live, and die, for us. “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
Soaking through the hardened soul of sinful man are the tears of humility. Humility is a key ingredient to recognition. “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:32 turns the key to our heart, awakening us from a “religious” spiritual slumber, and spurring us from recognition to our next R word, REPENTANCE. Just because we see our need for a Savior doesn’t automatically put us right with God. We must accept Jesus as the Son of God, place Him first in our life, and we must be changed.
Our “School Days” song includes the line “Taught to the tune of a hickory stick.” The Pharisee had a checklist of appointed tasks to establish himself as “righteous.” The poor tax collector knew there was nothing he could do to bring himself into righteous standing with God, so he begged for mercy. When we accept Jesus as our personal Savior, there is no need for a hickory stick, or even a checklist, we want to live for Him! Instead of going selfishly in our own direction, we turn towards Him!
In the end, “School Days” is a love song about a boy and a girl when they were a couple of kids. The reality is we have grown up and life is just a big boy classroom with bullies and big decisions. God has his own love song, and it is best sung in John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
The final R word is REDEMPTION, a refining river which flows from only one stream, the blood of Jesus. By Jesus hanging on an old hickory stick called the cross, for our sins, He redeemed mankind for all eternity.
This will be on your final exam! Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6.
There is no greater thing to prepare our children for life! Give them Jesus!