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Brilliant post. I have enjoyed following your biblical exegesis series thus far. Hope you will continue a bit longer.

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So the question that I like to toss around with my fellow church-goers is "Why were the Pharisees a target but the tax collectors weren't?" And therefore what is the proper application to today.

Three possibilities (there could be others):

* Because the Pharisees were religious and the tax collectors weren't - Application: We call out Christians for bad behavior but not secularists, because Christians deserve correction and non-Christians only deserve mercy.

* Because the Pharisees were claiming to speak for God - Application: Again, Christians who are not living up to the gospel should be called out but secularists left alone.

* Because the Pharisees were wealthy and powerful and influential - Application: The dominant cultural forces and persona deserve the loud condemnation whereas your average beaten down sinner does not need it.

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