The Pharisee and the Publican.
9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves
that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 Two men went up into
the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The
Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I
am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this
publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his
eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to
me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather
than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and
he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
The scope of this parable likewise is prefixed to it, and we are told
(v. 9) who they were whom it was levelled at, and for whom it was calculated.
He designed it for the conviction of some who trusted in themselves that
they were righteous, and despised others. They were such as had, 1. A great
conceit of themselves, and of their own goodness; they thought themselves
as holy as they needed to be, and holier than all their neighbours, and
such as might serve for examples to them all. But that was not all; 2.
They had a confidence in themselves before God, and not only had a high
opinion of their own righteousness, but depended upon the merit of it,
whenever they addressed God, as their plea: They trusted in themselves
as being righteous; they thought they had made God their debtor, and might
demand any thing from him; and, 3. They despised others, and looked upon
them with contempt, as not worthy to be compared with them. Now Christ
by this parable would show such their folly, and that thereby they shut
themselves out from acceptance with God. This is called a parable, though
there be nothing of similitude in it; but it is rather a description of
the different temper and language of those that proudly justify themselves,
and those that humbly condemn themselves; and their different standing
before God. It is matter of fact every day.
I. Here are both these addressing themselves to the duty of prayer at
the same place and time (v. 10): Two men went up into the temple (for the
temple stood upon a hill) to pray. It was not the hour of public prayer,
but they went thither to offer up their personal devotions, as was usual
with good people at that time, when the temple was not only the place,
but the medium of worship, and God had promised, in answer to Solomon's
request, that, whatever prayer was made in a right manner in or towards
that house, it should therefore the rather be accepted. Christ is our temple,
and to him we must have an eye in all our approaches to God. The Pharisees
and the publican both went to the temple to pray. Note, Among the worshippers
of God, in the visible church, there is a mixture of good and bad, of some
that are accepted of God, and some that are not; and so it has been ever
since Cain and Abel brought their offering to the same altar. The Pharisee,
proud as he was, could not think himself above prayer; nor could the publican,
humble as he was, think himself shut out from the benefit of it; but we
have reason to think that these went with different views. 1. The Pharisee
went to the temple to pray because it was a public place, more public than
the corners of the streets, and therefore he should have many eyes upon
him, who would applaud his devotion, which perhaps was more than was expected.
The character Christ gave of the Pharisees, that all their works they did
to be seen of men, gives us occasion for this suspicion. Note, Hypocrites
keep up the external performances of religion only to save or gain credit.
There are many whom we see every day at the temple, whom, it is to be feared,
we shall not see in the great day at Christ's right hand. 2. The publican
went to the temple because it was appointed to be a house of prayer for
all people, Isa. lvi. 7. The Pharisee came to the temple upon a compliment,
the publican upon business; the Pharisee to make his appearance, the publican
to make his request. Now God sees with what disposition and design we come
to wait upon him in holy ordinances, and will judge of us accordingly.
II. Here is the Pharisee's address to God (for a prayer I cannot call
it): He stood and prayed thus with himself (v. 11, 12): standing by himself,
he prayed thus, so some read it; he was wholly intent upon himself, had
nothing in his eye but self, his own praise, and not God's glory; or, standing
in some conspicuous place, where he distinguished himself; or, setting
himself with a great deal of state and formality, he prayed thus. Now that
which he is here supposed to say is that which shows,
1. That he trusted to himself that he was righteous. A great many good
things he said of himself, which we will suppose to be true. He was free
from gross and scandalous sins; he was not an extortioner, not a usurer,
not oppressive to debtors or tenants, but fair and kind to all that had
dependence upon him. He was not unjust in any of his dealings; he did no
man any wrong; he could say, as Samuel, Whose ox or whose ass have I taken?
He was no adulterer, but had possessed his vessel in sanctification and
honour. Yet this was not all; he fasted twice in the week, as an act partly
of temperature, partly of devotion. The Pharisees and their disciples fasted
twice a week, Monday and Thursday. Thus he glorified God with his body:
yet that was not all; he gave tithes of all that he possessed, according
to the law, and so glorified God with his worldly estate. Now all this
was very well and commendable. Miserable is the condition of those who
come short of the righteousness of this Pharisee: yet he was not accepted;
and why was he not? (1.) His giving God thanks for this, though in itself
a good thing, yet seems to be a mere formality. He does not say, By the
grace of God I am what I am, as Paul did, but turns it off with a slight,
God, I thank thee, which is intended but for a plausible introduction to
a proud vainglorious ostentation of himself. (2.) He makes his boast of
this, and dwells with delight upon this subject, as if all his business
to the temple was to tell God Almighty how very good he was; and he is
ready to say, with those hypocrites that we read of (Isa. lviii. 3), Wherefore
have we fasted, and thou seest not? (3.) He trusted to it as a righteousness,
and not only mentioned it, but pleaded it, as if hereby he had merited
at the hands of God, and made him his debtor. (4.) Here is not one word
of prayer in all he saith. He went up to the temple to pray, but forgot
his errand, was so full of himself and his own goodness that he thought
he had need of nothing, no, not of the favour and grace of God, which,
it would seem, he did not think worth asking.
2. That he despised others. (1.) He thought meanly of all mankind but
himself: I thank thee that I am not as other men are. He speaks indefinitely,
as if he were better than any. We may have reason to thank God that we
are not as some men are, that are notoriously wicked and vile; but to speak
at random thus, as if we only were good, and all besides us were reprobates,
is to judge by wholesale. (2.) He thought meanly in a particular manner
of this publican, whom he had left behind, it is probable, in the court
of the Gentiles, and whose company he had fallen into as he came to the
temple. He knew that he was a publican, and therefore very uncharitably
concluded that he was an extortioner, unjust, and all that is naught. Suppose
it had been so, and he had known it, what business had he to take notice
of it? Could not he say his prayers (and that was all that the Pharisees
did) without reproaching his neighbours? Or was this a part of his God,
I thank thee? And was he as much pleased with the publican's badness as
with his own goodness? There could not be a plainer evidence, not only
of the want of humility and charity, but of reigning pride and malice,
than this was.
III. Here is the publican's address to God, which was the reverse of
the Pharisee's, as full of humility and humiliation as his was of pride
and ostentation; as full of repentance for sin, and desire towards God,
as his was of confidence in himself and his own righteousness and sufficiency.
1. He expressed his repentance and humility in what he did; and his
gesture, when he addressed himself to his devotions, was expressive of
great seriousness and humility, and the proper clothing of a broken, penitent,
and obedient heart. (1.) He stood afar off. The Pharisee stood, but crowded
up as high as he could, to the upper end of the court; the publican kept
at a distance under a sense of his unworthiness to draw near to God, and
perhaps for fear of offending the Pharisee, whom he observed to look scornfully
upon him, and of disturbing his devotions. Hereby he owned that God might
justly behold him afar off, and send him into a state of eternal distance
from him, and that it was a great favour that God was pleased to admit
him thus nigh. (2.) He would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven,
much less his hands, as was usual in prayer. He did lift up his heart to
God in the heavens, in holy desires, but, through prevailing shame and
humiliation, he did not lift up his eyes in holy confidence and courage.
His iniquities are gone over his head, as a heavy burden, so that he is
not able to look up, Ps. xl. 12. The dejection of his looks is an indication
of the dejection of his mind at the thought of sin. (3.) He smote upon
his breast, in a holy indignation at himself for sin: "Thus would I smite
this wicked heart of mine, the poisoned fountain out of which flow all
the streams of sin, if I could come at it." The sinner's heart first smites
him in a penitent rebuke, 2 Sam. xxiv. 10. David's heart smote him. Sinner,
what hast thou done? And then he smites his heart with penitent remorse:
O wretched man that I am? Ephraim is said to smite upon his thigh, Jer.
xxxi. 19. Great mourners are represented tabouring upon their breasts,
Nah. ii. 7.
2. He expressed it in what he said. His prayer was short. Fear and shame
hindered him from saying much; sighs and groans swallowed up his words;
but what he said was to the purpose: God, be merciful to me a sinner. And
blessed be God that we have this prayer upon record as an answered prayer,
and that we are sure that he who prayed it went to his house justified;
and so shall we, if we pray it, as he did, through Jesus Christ: "God,
be merciful to me a sinner; the God of infinite mercy be merciful to me,
for, if he be not, I am for ever undone, for ever miserable. God be merciful
to me, for I have been cruel to myself." (1.) He owns himself a sinner
by nature, by practice, guilty before God. Behold, I am vile, what shall
I answer thee? The Pharisee denies himself to be a sinner; none of his
neighbours can charge him, and he sees no reason to charge himself, with
any thing amiss; he is clean, he is pure from sin. But the publican gives
himself no other character than that of a sinner, a convicted criminal
at God's bar. (2.) He has no dependence but upon the mercy of God, that,
and that only, he relies upon. The Pharisee had insisted upon the merit
of his fastings and tithes; but the poor publican disclaims all thought
of merit, and flies to mercy as his city of refuge, and takes hold of the
horn of that altar. "Justice condemns me; nothing will save me but mercy,
mercy." (3.) He earnestly prays for the benefit of that mercy: "O God,
be merciful, be propitious, to me; forgive my sins; be reconciled to me;
take me into thy favour; receive me graciously; love me freely." He comes
as a beggar for an alms, when he is ready to perish for hunger. Probably
he repeated this prayer with renewed affections, and perhaps said more
to the same purport, made a particular confession of his sins, and mentioned
the particular mercies he wanted, and waited upon God for; but still this
was the burden of the song: God, be merciful to me a sinner.
IV. Here is the publican's acceptance with God. We have seen how differently
these two addressed themselves to God; it is now worth while to enquire
how they sped. There were those who would cry up the Pharisee, by whom
he would go to his house applauded, and who would look with contempt upon
this sneaking whining publican. But our Lord Jesus, to whom all hearts
are open, all desires known, and from whom no secret is hid, who is perfectly
acquainted with all proceedings in the court of heaven, assures us that
this poor, penitent, broken-hearted publican went to his house justified,
rather than the other. The Pharisee thought that if one of them must be
justified, and not the other, certainly it must be he rather than the publican.
"No," saith Christ, "I tell you, I affirm it with the utmost assurance,
and declare it to you with the utmost concern, I tell you, it is the publican
rather than the Pharisee." The proud Pharisee goes away, rejected of God;
his thanksgivings are so far from being accepted that they are an abomination;
he is not justified, his sins are not pardoned, nor is he delivered from
condemnation: he is not accepted as righteous in God's sight, because he
is so righteous in his own sight; but the publican, upon this humble address
to Heaven, obtains the remission of his sins, and he whom the Pharisee
would not set with the dogs of his flock God sets with the children of
his family. The reason given for this is because God's glory is to resist
the proud, and give grace to the humble. 1. Proud men, who exalt themselves,
are rivals with God, and therefore they shall certainly be abased. God,
in his discourse with Job, appeals to this proof that he is God, that he
looks upon every one that is proud, and brings him low, Job xl. 12. 2.
Humble men, who abase themselves, are subject to God, and they shall be
exalted. God has preferment in store for those that will take it as a favour,
not for those that demand it as a debt. He shall be exalted into the love
of God, and communion with him, shall be exalted into a satisfaction in
himself, and exalted at last as high as heaven. See how the punishment
answers the sin: He that exalteth himself shall be abased. See how the
recompence answers the duty: He that humbles himself shall be exalted.
See also the power of God's grace in bringing good out of evil; the publican
had been a great sinner, and out of the greatness of his sin was brought
the greatness of his repentance; out of the eater came forth meat. See,
on the contrary, the power of Satan's malice in bringing evil out of good.
It was good that the Pharisee was no extortioner, nor unjust; but the devil
made him proud of this, to his ruin.
