Jesus addressed this parable
to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.
Those who are convinced of their own righteousness have often managed to convince themselves of something they do not believe at a deeper level. Thus, they must meditate, like the Pharisee, on all of the awesome things they do, and use that list to compare themselves favorably to others. Since they have no vested interest in the righteousness of others they more readily see their flaws and tend to despise them.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself
There isn't much room for God in hearts like that of this Pharisee. God's presence is too unpredictable and dangerous to the ego for someone like that to risk opening himself too much to him. Thus, for the Pharisee, God was the recipient of an elaborate show-and-tell of all of the things the Pharisee did right, and how these seemed to make him compare favorably to the rest of humanity. He seemed to imply that if anyone went away justified it ought to be him.
But the tax collector stood off at a distance
and would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but beat his breast and prayed,
‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’
If we saw such individuals in our own churches we might easily mistake whether it was the modern version of the tax collector or of the Pharisee whose soul was in good shape. There might be individuals among us who do a sufficient number of superficially religious things to appear to be devout. They might not engage in any obvious public sin. They may know the faith well and never fail to check a required box in terms of their practice. By contrast, there may also be people who don't understand the faith so well and whose practice of the faith looks less pristine. Yet it may be these later are the ones who have truly opened themselves to God. Sometimes this is in fact easier for those who have achieved less, since they don't have an elaborate facade to present. They are, as it were, exposed before God. Their need for mercy has not been covered over by various pious practices. Even regular struggle with sin doesn't disqualify them if it makes them aware of their need for God. They often know all too well of their flawed and fallible human nature, against which they are unable to achieve victory apart from God's grace.
I fast twice a week,
and I pay tithes on my whole income.
The fact that the Pharisee fasted and paid tithes ought to have been commendable. But he attributed these good works to himself, rather than God working within him. Thus the power that they ought to have been able to unleash in his life was negated by pride. This is why it is important for us to remember that it is God who produces good fruit within us.
for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (see Philippians 2:13).
Thanksgiving for the grace we receive helps prevent our good works from inverting us, and directing our focus down toward our ego. It opens us to the presence of God and does not numb us to our ongoing need of his mercy. When we remember that all that we have and all that we are is from him we won't risk running from his presence. Instead we will be motivated to heed the words of the prophet Hosea:
Let us know, let us strive to know the LORD;
as certain as the dawn is his coming,
and his judgment shines forth like the light of day!
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