Vs. 32 Every one who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Vs. 14 I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

I am not just taking about dressing up at Halloween.  I am talking about pretending you were a super hero, a famous athlete.  I remember playing cowboys and Indians, good guys and bad guys.  I remember there were times we even argued over who was going to be the good guy and who was going to be the bad guy.

I want to play pretend this morning. What I want to pretend to play is The Parable of the Two Men Who Prayed, our gospel lesson for this morning.  Which character would you want to try out for, The Pharisee or the Tax collector?

The Pharisee was a respected religious leader. The tax collector was a leech on society and a traitor.

Who would want to be the Pharisee?  Who would want to be the tax collector?

The over whelming choice is the tax collector, why?

Because he was seen as a leech on society. Because he was seen by the Jews as a traitor. Because he worked for Rome.  Because he stood at a distance.  Because he kept his head bowed.  Because he beat his breast.  Because he acknowledged before God that he was a sinner. I get the feeling that the tax collector has no sense that God ought to feel honored or obligated to him or his petition.

Is that the attitude with which you have come to worship God this morning?

The tax collector might be the overwhelming choice to play, but is that how we live?  Or might our attitude be more like that of the Pharisee?  The Pharisee was self-sufficient.  He was respected within the community.  He was a man who had some social status.  To a degree we all desire such characteristics.

Initially his prayer looked like it was going to be a Psalm of praise.  It quickly turned to prayer of thanks to God for himself.  It expressed gratitude that

It is easy to measure ourselves to other people, particularly people who don’t measure up to us, at least in our own eyes. After thanking God for himself he pinned a badge of honor on his chest.

This was a call above and beyond the call of duty. Add to the badge of honor another star of faithfulness as he says,

The Pharisee could have simplified his prayer by saying,

The Pharisee reminds of a story I read in a devotional.  It was story about a man who loved basketball.  His passion for basketball became so great that it held precedence over his faith, family and friends.  It actually got in the way of his intimacy with his God, his wife and his children.  This was the Pharisee’s problem.  He recognized one thing and one thing only himself.

Like the Pharisee the tax collector recognized one thing and one thing only.  He recognized that he needed God’s mercy.  His recognition of his need for God’s mercy caused Jesus to respond,

While it is clear through this parable which attitude is better for you and me to have.  We live in a society that emphasizes the very things, impressive resumes, self-reliance, and social status that became stumbling blocks to the Pharisee.  It was this very reason the prophet Joel was prophesying to the Israelites.  He saw that their passion was focused on the privilege of being God’s chosen people and that they were neglecting the responsibilities of being God’s chosen people.  Having walked away from obedience to God Joel was calling them to return to God.

The parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector reveals two prayers and two hearts. What counts is a heart that appreciates what God can give.  A heart that brings a person to worship desiring only to improve ones relationship with God.  This happens when we realize we are in need of God’s mercy and grace.