Why is this in scripture? Why are we told to consider it? For this is not religious, in religion we are told to do as we are told, to trust on the righteousness we have, to improve.
To become better.
What makes me squirm is that I know that I have flaws, and I need to become better: the older I get the more I am aware of how undisciplined I am, how much I tolerate the systems that around me and, like the tax collector, am a part of a leviathan that grinds people down and calls it collateral damage. But without that state system — that employs me, and the mechanism of socialized medicine — people who are mad fall through the gaps and end up with greater damage. I have seen what happens when the mad have complete liberty: I have found myself snap diagnosing movement disorders secondary to cheap, outmoded antipsychotics on the streets of San Francisco, and I do not call that good.
I am very aware that there is a lot of Tax Collector within me. But I am more worried about the Pharisee: that I will trust my good works. For that I should not do: they are akin to scum in the sight of God.
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
(Luke 18:9-14 ESV)
This week I have had a pile of compliments, for some good work I have done. But that is my duty. I am commanded to do this by Christ, and one does not reward a servant for doing what they are employed to do. I’m more worried about the injustice I am part of: my tendency to sins of the flesh, gluttony included, which I love, and most of all that I will not be like the tax collector, and pray that Christ have mercy on this sinner. We take pride in our roles and make them the highest goal in our life at our peril.
Perhaps not surprisingly given where they place their identity, Christian women also point to family-related objectives as their most important goal in life. Raising their children well is the highest goal for Christian women (36%). While, roughly one-quarter of Christian women identify faith-oriented goals as most important (26%).Though women consider themselves family-driven, their marriages may be suffering from a lack of intentionality: only 2% of Christian women say their most important goal in life is to enhance their relationship with their significant other. Marriage comes in below several other goals, including health (6%), career (5%), lifestyle (4%), personal growth (4%), morality (4%) and financial objectives (3%). Only goals related to personal appearance, relationships outside the home and travel come in lower than marital goals.
The consequence of this placing family before Christ, and (much less frequently) your marriage before Christ is that we forget who we are. We are broken. We are fallen. And we are not purely of this world.
We need to rediscover our broken state. It is not the Pharisee, nor the woman raising her kids, who is justified by their actions, though they be excellent. Instead, it is the one who can no longer struggle, counts themselves as a casualty.
For in our society, it may be that only the collateral damage call for mercy, being aware that they are sinners. The remainder of us function, like the SJW, as Pharisees. God preserve us, and save us from that fate.
