The Pharisee standing by himself is imprisoned by his
piety and for all his tithing and fasting and righteous living he is farther
away from God than the tax collector standing far off. The tax collector in the
company of thieves, rouges and adulterers is equally imprisoned by his impiety
but closer to God because of his humility (or is it shame?) which is entirely
appropriate for the life he lives and the company he keeps. Of course, he is
still far off, physically and spiritually, despite being justified for knowing
who he is. He will never be able to lift his head or give his breast a break
until being justified goes beyond saying I’m sorry. But the parable is not
about the tax collector nor does it encourage us to “go and do
likewise.” The parable is about people whose pride in practicing
religion makes the practice of religion meaningless despite all the effort put
into ordering life by religious practices. One cannot be close to God standing
by oneself. So perhaps being close to God is to live like a Pharisee and pray
like a tax collector?
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