In Justice and the Parables of Jesus, Yung Suk Kim places the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9–14) under the category of Social Justice.
While many sermons focus on the "internal" sin of pride, Kim focuses on social status and the "culture of competition." He argues that this parable is a critique of how society creates "winners" and "losers" based on religious and social performance.1. The Critique of Social Performance
Kim suggests that the Pharisee represents the "high-status" individual whose sense of justice is built on upward mobility and comparison.
-The Pharisee’s Prayer: It isn't just a prayer; it’s a status report. By saying, "I am not like other people," he is reinforcing a social hierarchy. His "justice" is exclusionary—it depends on there being someone "below" him (the tax collector) to validate his own "above" status.
-The Problem with Merit: Kim argues that when we define justice as "being better than others," we create a society of competition where the weak are inevitably marginalized.
2. The Tax Collector and "Downward Mobility"
In contrast, Kim highlights the Tax Collector through the lens of humility as a social disruptor.
-The Broken Heart: Drawing on Eastern philosophical concepts (like those in the Dao De Jing), Kim views the "broken heart" of the tax collector not just as a religious feeling, but as a rejection of the social ladder.
-Softness vs. Hardness: Kim compares the Pharisee’s "hardened" heart—solidified by status and self-importance—to the "softness" of the tax collector. In Kim’s political framework, true social justice begins when people stop trying to "climb" over one another and instead embrace a "downward mobility" that seeks solidarity with the lowly.
-Softness vs. Hardness: Kim compares the Pharisee’s "hardened" heart—solidified by status and self-importance—to the "softness" of the tax collector. In Kim’s political framework, true social justice begins when people stop trying to "climb" over one another and instead embrace a "downward mobility" that seeks solidarity with the lowly.
3. Social Justice as "Impartiality"
The "justification" of the tax collector is a political statement by Jesus. It suggests that God’s rule (the Kingdom) does not recognize the social rankings humans create.
The "justification" of the tax collector is a political statement by Jesus. It suggests that God’s rule (the Kingdom) does not recognize the social rankings humans create.
-Dismantling Prestige: Social justice, in this reading, is the act of dismantling systems that reward prestige and punish those at the bottom.
-The Goal: The parable calls for a society where one's value isn't measured by their "tithes" or "fasting" (their social contributions), but by their shared humanity and need for mercy.
-The Goal: The parable calls for a society where one's value isn't measured by their "tithes" or "fasting" (their social contributions), but by their shared humanity and need for mercy.
Key Difference in Kim's Approach
In traditional readings, the Pharisee is a "villain" because he is arrogant. In Kim’s Social Justice reading, the Pharisee is a "warning" because he is a product of a competitive system. He is what happens when a society values "doing right" more than "being in right relationship" with others.
