Contemplative Bible Reading

Luke 18:9-14 (New Living Translation)

⁹ Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: ¹⁰ “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! ¹² I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’

¹³ “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Look at the words and phrases in this translation.

• great confidence
• scorned
• despised
• not a sinner like everyone else
• cheat
• sin
• commit adultery
• not like that tax collector
• dared not
• beat his chest in sorrow
• be merciful

As a writer and consultant, when I hear words like these in conversations my ears tingle. Something is happening here, something that people are not saying aloud. There is much emotion and bite here. This is not a simple little story like The Three Bears or Goldilocks.

This is a serious story that deserves attention. How much confidence do I have in my own righteousness? How much do I look to the Messiah for righteousness?

Tough questions. Tough story.