Standing Afar Off

Self is the attitude or character of a person that controls them. In this parable both the Pharisee and the Tax Collector show a lot about the human condition. Self is a person’s conscious personality. Both of these men know who they are. The Pharisee sees himself as “set apart.” They were strict, wealthy, self-righteous and conservative. They sought fame and recognition. Personal consciousness meant everything to them. They believed in what the Bible said only so far as they agreed with it. They did not allow the Law of God to override their own disposition. What they needed was total heart transformation, but they put self above God. The Tax Collector was hated by the Jews. He was a Jew himself hired by the Romans to collect taxes. He was willing to do his job no matter what people thought of him. There is a big difference between these two men. The Pharisee was proud and stood by himself. He was afraid his faith would be tested. He wanted to appear outwardly righteous. It was all about self as the ruler of their heart. In the life of a born again Christian Christ is the center, not self. The Tax Collector was humble and convicted of his sin, but conviction must lead to repentance. He must surrender his life to Christ. If he continued in the condition of willful sin he would stay away from God. In order to be free from sin a person must both repent and surrender their life to Christ. The Tax Collector needed to change. A person must be willing to come to the light, put off the old nature, and become like Christ. In contrast everything Jesus did was not about self but for the glory of the Father. The life of a true Christian honors God.


Click here to listen: Standing Afar Off