Sermon - The Pharisee and the Tax Collector | Pastor Jisun Yang | 3-22-26
- Middletown UMC Meadowlark
- 7 hours ago
- 2 min read
Pastor Jisun reflects on how from a young age we learn the world through contrast - big and small, fast and slow, good and bad. We try to understand who we are by measuring ourselves against others. Where do I stand ? And that leads us to the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.
In this parable a Pharisee and a tax collector go to the temple to pray. The Pharisee thanks God that he is better than others who are evildoers like the tax collector. The tax collector stands at a distance, looks down and prays "God have mercy on me a sinner". Jesus concludes by saying that the tax collector rather than the Pharisee went home justified before God. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Pastor Jisun preaches that when comparison defines our worth it becomes a problem. When we look down on others it blinds us to our weaknesses and blocks our growth, causing us to miss opportunities to grow and change. We begin to trust in ourselves instead of in God. We compare rather than confess. We justify ourselves instead of seeking grace. It breaks relationships creating distance and reducing empathy. The pharisee's prayer lacks repentance. The tax collector's prayer of humility opens the door for grace to work in him.
Pastor Jisun notes that we may feel uncomfortable when God's grace is extended to those we consider undeserving. In today's culture everything becomes a competition. We try to win at any cost. Pride closes us up; humility opens us up. Pride cuts off connections; humility brings us together. Pride puffs up; love builds up. Judgement belongs not to us but to God. Our worth is something we receive from God - we are beloved, no matter what. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. No failure can erase it; no comparison can diminish it; no circumstance can undo it. This is the unshakeable foundation of our faith - who we are and whose we are. We are siblings in God's family. When we do not choose humility, life has a way of humbling us.
So how do we come before God? No comparing, no proving but trusting and receiving. Come with humility, come with honesty and receive the grace that has been there all along. We have room to grow.