Image: The Pharisee and the Publican, wood engraving on paper, by John Everett Millais, from "Illustrations to 'The Parables of Our Lord'", published 1864
A couple weeks ago, a member of our men’s Bible study handed me an article from the Star Tribune by the Rev. Dr. David Lose. Dr. Lose, currently the senior pastor at Mount Olivet Lutheran in Minneapolis and a former seminary professor and president, addressed concerns about why he didn’t sign an assault weapons ban petition. This petition, signed by over 950 faith leaders, demands “that you (the governor and state legislators) act with moral clarity and courageous leadership by immediately calling a special legislative session to pass a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.” In response, Lose writes,
My issue isn’t with the goal, but with the tactics. I understand the frustration, even righteous indignation, that prompts faith leaders to “demand” change, particularly in light of the tragedy…at Annunciation Church that left two children dead and 24 children and three adults wounded….But what is demanded? Not simply calling a special session, but that lawmakers act “with moral clarity and courageous leadership”, implying that anyone who does not agree with the petitioners lacks moral vision and courage. The slide from moral indignation to condescending contempt—at least in the eyes of ears of anyone who may disagree—is as swift as it is uncompromising and will likely only push opponents to greater entrenchment in their previously held positions.
And boy howdy, do we live in an age of contempt. Many of our leaders are filled with it. Have you read a newsletter from a senator or representative lately? Have you noticed the vitriol toward their opponents? Even when wars cease, contempt for the other side rarely does, sowing seeds for the next conflict. Many watch internet influencers who ooze contempt for their rivals, seeking views and reactions. Viking fans are contemptuous of the Packers, and Packer fans are contemptuous of…well, everybody else! (Is that a contemptuous thing to say? Probably!) And if we’re honest with ourselves, we know we hold some people in contempt. There are people we think we’re better than. But contempt is destructive, not least in personal relationships. According to psychologists John and Julie Gottman, contempt is the number one predictor of divorce.
Despite the swamp of contempt we find ourselves mired in today, this not a new problem—not in the church, not in politics, not in the workplace, and not in our personal lives. It’s a problem that stretches back to the beginning of civilization, when to promote community cohesion, an “other” was needed to look down upon. And Jesus talks about this “looking down” in today’s parable.
This is a complementary parable to the one we heard last week about the persistent widow and the unjust judge. That was addressed to those who might lose heart and stop praying. This one is addressed to those who might be a little too taken with their own goodness; those who use their spirituality to feed their narcissism. That is the picture of our Pharisee. Now, a quick word on Pharisees. They are often portrayed in the New Testament as Jesus’s primary enemies, and the very term is a synonym for harshness and hypocrisy. But Pharisees were among the earliest members of the church, including Paul. Unlike the Temple bureaucracy, they accepted the whole of what we call the Old Testament and believed in the resurrection from the dead, cornerstone beliefs of the early church. We dare not stereotype Pharisees as a whole, lest we find ourselves thinking, “I thank you God, that I am not like that Pharisee!”
But our Pharisee is in contempt’s trap. And why wouldn’t he be? He’s doing quite well for himself. He tithes. How many of us can say that? He fasts twice a week. It’s probably safe to say that none of us are doing that! He’s doing what he’s supposed to do as a faithful person. He’s not a rogue, a rake, or rapacious. And he sure isn’t like the tax collector! Tax collectors at that time had an even worse reputation than they do now. They were seen as traitors, sell-outs, and frauds. And while it’s true that fraud was part of the tax-collection pyramid scheme, we know very little about this guy. We know nothing about his family or his personal situation. We only know his line of work, his presence in the Temple, and his prayer.
And his prayer reveals a loving and gracious God, who looks down upon us all. But it’s a very kind of “looking down” than what we do. When God looks down upon us, there are two major aspects to it, all wrapped up in God’s love: judgment and mercy. Never contempt. God never looks down on us in contempt like the Pharisee looks down upon the tax collector or like we sometimes look down on our neighbors. Judgment, sure. When God in Jesus Christ looks down from the cross, that is God’s judgment upon a good world gone its own way—a world that is hostile to God’s ways of justice, mercy, and love. The cross is revelation of the lengths the world is willing to go to be its own god. The world, deep within our sinful selves, brooks no rivals. It’s willing to kill its own Redeemer. We all take a good, long look. The cross is where our contempt leads us.
But the cross is also God’s embrace—God’s mercy. When the tax collector prays, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner,” that is simple acceptance of the truth—that God is always ready to forgive sinners like us, and always ready to make us new in Christ. On the cross, Jesus extends his arms to all. He looks down upon us in love and mercy, willing to accept even an insurrectionist and murderer hanging next to him, the one who pleads, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He receives us all, not according to what we deserve, but according to his grace. That means all our “looking down” belongs in the dustbin. There is no one we can look down upon, not even the worst person you can think of, not even someone like the tax collector or the Pharisee or someone who doesn’t believe what we believe or doesn’t vote like we vote or doesn’t have the resources we have or doesn’t agree with me on what’s “moral” or not or doesn’t even cheer for the same football team! The only One who legitimately looks down is God in Christ. And his looking down is all love. Thanks be to God. Amen.
© 2025, David M. Fleener. Permission granted to copy and adapt original material herein for non-commercial purposes with appropriate credit given.