This lesson groups together three parables directed at hypocrisy and corruption among the Pharisees. The Pharisees looked down upon "sinners" and promoted themselves as righteous, yet their religion was all about outward show. The three parables that we now study point to these hearts awry.

The three parables in this lesson teach us about the last of the the seven themes of the parables. God looks on the heart. He respects a heart full of love for him. He respects qualities such as mercy, humility, and goodness --qualities that were lacking in the hearts of most of the religious leaders of Jerusalem.

Of course the lack of such qualities reflects a lack of understanding of the grace and mercy of God, the very first theme of the parables.

Lke 7:36-47, Lke 18:9-24, Mtt 23:27-28

The Two Debtors

Lke 7:36-47

Verses 36-40 show the background to this parable. Simon the Pharisee has a problem with the way a woman "sinner" is treating Jesus and his acceptance of her. She was kissing his feet, wiping them with her hair and her tears, and she was anointing them with perfume. Simon could not see the lovliness of this act. He could see only the sins she had committed, and he could only despise her.

Verses 41-42 record the simple and short parable which Jesus told to Simon. Two men owed money to a moneylender. One owed fifty denarii (fifty day's wages), and the other owed ten times as much. Both were forgiven their debts by a compassionate moneylender. The moneylender in this parable represents God, and the two debtors represent sinners.

Verses 43-44 show the meaning of the parable. Simon was asked to choose which of the debtors he thought would love the moneylender more. Not a difficult question. "I suppose," Simon said, "it would be the one whom he forgave more".

Dead right Simon, and obviously Jesus is suggesting that this "sinner" woman will love God more than you because she has more sins to forgive than you do. Of course, Jesus is describing you through your own eyes, Simon. You think that you have little sin. If you would see yourself as God sees you, then you would know that you also have much to be forgiven of, and when you found forgiveness, you would love God much more than you do now. You would be like this woman.

Verses 45-50 record what Jesus went on to say to Simon and the woman. Jesus was hard on Simon, but perfectly fair. Simon had shown no love for Jesus, and even fell short of courtesy. The woman, the sinner, had shown great love and faith, and the Lord commended her and showed her mercy.

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Lke 18:9-24

Verse 9 gives the intent of this parable. It was aimed at "certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous". God has respect for the contrite and penitent heart, like the heart of David which is expressed in Psalm 51.

Verse 10 shows two men doing the right thing. One a Pharisee, the other a tax collector, went up to the temple to pray. That is a good thing.

Verses 11-12 relate the Pharisee's prayer. Oddly, Jesus says, "He prayed to himself thus...". He was supposed to be praying to God, but God was not listening, so the Pharisee was really praying to himself. And what a self-congratulatory and self-praising prayer it is. The Pharisee starts by giving God thanks that he, the Pharisee, is not like other people. He is righteous whilst they are sinners. The rest of the prayer is a brag session --a recital of the righteous deeds he does regularly. No mention of any sins, except the sins of other people. This man was exalting himself before God.

Verse 13 relates the Tax gatherer's prayer. Not a mention of any righteousness in himself, just a simple humble plea, "God be merciful to me a sinner!". This man was humbling himself before God.

Verse 14 gives the outcome of the prayer of each man. The Tax gatherer was the one justified. His were the sins were forgiven. The Pharisee received nothing from God because he did not humble himself contrite before God but exalted himself.

The Whitewashed Tombs

Mtt 23:27-28

This parable or parable-like statement likens the heart of a hypocrite to that of a whited sepulchre. The tomb on the outside is all freshly painted pure white. Lovely. But what's inside? Ugly bones and death's decay. The body of a dead person was unclean to the Pharisees, making the metaphor even more poignant for them.

The Bible says, "God sees not as man sees, for man looks at appearances, but the Lord looks on the heart" (1Sm 16:7). Man sees the whitewash, God sees the ugly and unclean interior.

Incidentally the manner of speech that Jesus used in these "Woe to you..." statements in Matthew 23 would not be tolerated today. Jesus would be branded as unloving calling people hypocrites and whited graves full of robbery and self indulgence. However Jesus was only telling the truth in plain words. It is never unloving to do that. Just as the blacksmith straightens a bar of iron with fire, a strong arm, and a heavy hammer, so the heart awry may need strong and fiery words to make it straight.

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