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This week we are continuing our study of Chapter 18. Please read verses 18:9-14 every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 18:10 (New Living Translation)
‘“Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector.”’
Yesterday we looked at how it is possible for some people to discriminate against other people on the basis of their skin colour. As abhorrent as that is, we still see aspects of this at work in most countries around the world. I’ve no intention of turning these devotions into a political rant but it is very sad to hear of people who are afraid for their lives if they are stopped by police. We live in a world of increasing violence and with each new report of mass shootings, my eyes turn heavenward and wonder for how much longer this will continue.
Luke introduces this parable by telling us who the intended audience was. He also informs us of the state of their heart and their attitude toward some aspects of society. ‘He told this parable to certain ones who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt.’ There can be no doubt as to who He was referring to as we consider the opening lines of our verse today. Jesus categorically informs us that there were two men: one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The NLT includes the word ‘despised’. This word isn’t in the original language but the NLT uses it to give us a clearer picture of what life was like at the time of Jesus.
Even today, tax collectors aren’t the most popular of people. A few years ago, there was a mix up with my tax payments as my employer had made a mistake when declaring how much tax I’d paid. The HM Revenue and Customs department thought that I had underpaid and were threatening to take the issue to court unless I’d paid the full amount. It was a hugely stressful time for Cath and I as we tried to prove that I had in fact paid the money. I attended an interview with one ‘tax collector’ and I have to say that she was absolutely brutal with me. I walked away thinking that the bad reputation of the department was entirely justified! I’m sure that there are some lovely people who work for the department but I didn’t meet them during my particular crisis.
In Jesus’ time, things were even worse. Tax was being paid to the Romans and the Jewish people resented that. If that wasn’t enough, some Jews were prepared to work for the Romans and weren’t exactly honest in their dealings. They would often take some additional money for themselves.
That’s the context for our verse today. The Pharisees already considered themselves to be better than everyone else. They were superior in every way. The other person in the parable is the lowest of the low. Someone who was prepared to double-cross their own people for financial gain. They were despised by just about everyone.
I have no way of knowing the backgrounds of everyone reading this devotion, but I dare say that there are some people who have ‘good’ backgrounds and some where things haven’t been so ordered and structured. Perhaps you come from a broken home or have lived a life of pain and hardship. It could be that you’ve had a privileged upbringing and never wanted for anything. Either way, I want you to note that Jesus said that ‘two men went to the temple to pray’. God isn’t concerned with your past, or the colour of your skin or your occupation. If our hearts are pure, then He’s interested in hearing your prayer. Don’t be distracted or detracted from talking to your Heavenly Father. He wants to hear you!
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