What God Hears

Ears to Hear, part 4: What God Hears

Good morning, Church. Our study continues this morning through selected parables of Jesus, and we’re going to give a fresh reading to the familiar parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. If you are familiar with Jesus’ teachings as recorded in the New Testament gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, you know that Pharisees and tax collectors didn’t often get along. The Pharisees were some of the Jewish religious elite who thought of themselves as the only ones who were really right with God. They thought they knew how to worship, how to follow all the religious requirements God gave Moses, and they surely thought they knew how to pray.

When the Pharisees thought of tax collectors, they thought of people who had sold out to Roman paganism for the sake of profit. In the Pharisees’ eyes, tax collectors were “sinners” of the worst kind, and they were pretty sure that God didn’t hear the prayers of sinners. Bear that in mind when we hear Jesus’ story today about two men who went to pray—one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. And, as usual in Jesus’ teachings, there is a big surprise that causes us to rethink some of what we think we know about ourselves, those we consider more sinful than us, and the way God looks at us all.

As always, try to hear today’s story in a way that allows it to speak to your life. It’s not just an exciting illustration of humility and honest self-reflection; it’s an invitation to think about the way we look at people, listen to people, and think about people. We cannot ignore these things if we want to be like Jesus. May God give us ears to hear and the faith to be different.

— Patrick Barber

What God Hears, Ears to Hear, pt. 4

Digging Deeper:

1. Are you ever tempted to think of yourself as better than others?  When, and why?
2. Why isn’t God satisfied with outward appearances?
3. What was a time when God humbled you?
4. What’s an element of pride in your life that you need to confess to God?