The Pharisee and the Tax Collector {Parables of Jesus Series}

Last week, we kicked off our series of a look at the Parables of Jesus. We continue this week with a look at Jesus’ parable about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.

Jesus told a story to some people who thought they were better than others and who looked down on everyone else:
Two men went into the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood over by himself and prayed, “God, I thank you that I am not greedy, dishonest, and unfaithful in marriage like other people. And I am really glad that I am not like that tax collector over there. I go without eating[d] for two days a week, and I give you one tenth of all I earn.”
The tax collector stood off at a distance and did not think he was good enough even to look up toward heaven. He was so sorry for what he had done that he pounded his chest and prayed, “God, have pity on me! I am such a sinner.”
Then Jesus said, “When the two men went home, it was the tax collector and not the Pharisee who was pleasing to God. If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.”
Luke 18:9-14 CEV

What I love about this parable is that it starts off by telling you exactly who Jesus is talking to you. He’s talking to you, who think highly of yourselves and look down on others. There is no question who Jesus’ audience is. And the message is clear: be humble and you will be honored.

So to make this parable clear for my kids, I tried a few things. Truthfully, I tried and failed a few things, but I finally found a way that stuck with my kids. (It certainly helped that candy was involved. What is it about food that makes things stick?)

So first I read them the story that I quoted above. I like the Contemporary English Version because the language is very clear and relatable, which is what I want when introducing a story to my 4 and 2 year olds.

Then, I showed them some videos reenacting the story. The first one had no words, so I just talked through the story, pointing out key things, like who the characters were, what they were doing, how they were feeling.

The second one I showed them, I really picked because it used Lego figures. It’s a little quirky, and the ending is not true to the Bible story (though the narrator says so), but it was worth a shot.

If you have older kids, that can read, I really liked the following video. I’m a fan of the building a picture while talking thing. The message is clear but fun.

Then, I got into an object lesson that I got from here. This is the part of the lesson that worked the best for us.

I showed them two boxes. One was pretty and appealing.

One was torn up and something that one would discard.

We talked about how the Pharisee in the story thought that he was really great. He thought he was basically perfect, much like this present: beautiful and with everything in order.

Then I talked about how God wants to give us good things. I showed them a jar full of jelly beans to represent the good things that God wants to give us. Then I asked them to see what would happen to the Pharisee when God tried to give him good things.

I poured the jelly beans over the present.

And then I asked if any of the jelly beans got inside the box. And they were able to easily say, “No!” Then I talked about how, even though the present was very pretty, it wasn’t open to the good things God has because it thought that it was already perfect and didn’t need anything else.

Then we talked about the tax collector. We talked about how he thought he was a bad man, a sinner, how he didn’t have a good life, much like the crumpled up box.

Then I asked them what they thought would happen if God tried to give him good things, and I poured the jelly beans over the crumpled box.

The boys saw that the jelly beans filled up the box, and some even spilled over! I talked about how the tax collector knew he needed God and so he was able to get God’s good things because he was open and ready. And how he could be so filled up with God’s good things that he had some to share.

And this is where the boys got to have a few jelly beans from the overflow of the tax collector’s life. (Naturally, this was their favorite part.)

Then I reiterated how we want to be like the crumpled up box, knowing that we are sinners and not perfect, so that we can get God’s good things in our lives.

For older kids, you can take this parable a little bit further, and talk about how the Pharisee was prideful and looked down on the tax collector, but Jesus tells us to encourage one another and build each other up. You can even use this neat visual that MaryAnn thought of to help your kids to do just that.