October 23, 2022 Luke 18:9-14 The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

This week we discuss another parable unique to Luke’s Gospel. On the surface of things, it looks like a story about prayer, but as Luke tells us, it’s really about whether we place our trust in God or in ourselves. We also discuss the themes raised by the Reformers: justification by faith versus the attempt at self-validation through works, pride versus humility, and contempt for others versus our equality before God. Finally, we discuss the challenge of calling people to put their trust in God in a world that is all about self-validation through any and all other sources.