Pharisees, Publicans, and Prayers

"He also told this parable

 to some who trusted in themselves

that they were righteous

 and regarded others with contempt: 

‘Two men went up to the temple to pray,

 one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector."

 (from Luke 18 9-14 )

This very familiar parable is not about the good guy and the bad guy. 

It's based on the center of Jesus' teachings, The Great Commandment: "You shall love the Lord you  God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself." (Lk. 10:27) 

To understand this, let's be clear about Pharisees. 

They were a Jewish resistance movement emphasizing obedience to the law of Moses in order to make God’s benefits visible and accessible for all who were Jewish. 

Pharisees lived meagerly and shunned excess and so were not legalistic, rigid, and elitist.

Instead, they paid attention to the oral tradition interpreting the spirit of the Torah, so they played an essential role in ensuring the theological and spiritual continuity of Judaism.

We also need to be clear about Publicans (tax collectors). 

Roman officials offered Publicans contracts to collect taxes in places like neighborhoods and markets. 

The Publicans collected taxes as well as their own fees and if you didn't pay these extra fees you may get into a lot of trouble in the form of "accidents".

Publicans were considered dishonest collaborators 

So there they are.

The Pharisee, going above and beyond what was required in fasting and giving, is righteous.

The Publican, showing repentance and humility probably because of his sense of wrongdoing by demanding money unjustly from his community.

Jesus says the Publican is justified, meaning his relationship with God is restored.

In the parable the Publican is justified which must have come as a complete shock to the listeners.

Love of neighbor, then, is an important indicator for recognizing the connection between Jesus and the Pharisees in their conversation.

This parable, then is not about the Pharisee and the Publican. 

It's about us.

Do we in our daily lives keep love of God and neighbor first?