Beyond the Weekend: Parables
The stories Jesus told and what they mean for your life today.
Why did Jesus teach in stories? Because the deepest truths about God are often found in the ordinary moments of life.
In the parables, Jesus takes everyday things, a lost sheep, a dinner party, a farmer planting seeds and uses them to show us what God is really like and what it means to follow him.
This summer, we’re spending seven weeks in the parables from Luke’s gospel. Whether you’ve heard these stories a hundred times or this is your first time, you’re invited to come and hear them fresh.
June 27/28–August 8/9
The Tax Collector’s Posture
Read: Luke 18:13 | Listen: Luke 18
But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Luke 18:13
Jesus’s story involves a proud Pharisee who puffs his chest over his spiritual accomplishments. It also features a humble tax collector who beats his chest in repentance before God. The tax collector has a right view of God’s holiness, his own sin, and dependence upon God’s mercy. And the shocker of Jesus’s story is that it is the tax collector—the one known for his sin and rebellion—who walks away justified (or declared right with God) rather than the Pharisee.
This parable reveals much about God’s kingdom. A right heart posture is not one boosted by spiritual achievements. Rather, it’s one that has been humbled by a right understanding of our sin and awed by the greatness of God. We can either come to God with our hands full of our accomplishments or with our hands empty, ready to receive his mercy. A humble posture can fuel honesty about our shortcomings—to God and others—and help us avoid a self-righteous attitude. Those who have the healthiest spiritual lives are those who regularly come before God and acknowledge their need for him
TODAY: Reflect on the character of God, including his holiness, perfection, and mercy. Praise him for who he is, and ask him for help to see yourself and your sin accurately. As you reflect, pray along with the tax collector from this story: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13).
